The Strange Case of Kowalski and Black
by jackandjill2
Summary: Based on the musical, "Jekyll and Hyde". Kowalski truly has good intentions, but sometimes even the best of us can be misled when faced with boundless opportunity, like he has...
1. Rejection

So, if you've read my profile, you probably know I'm a huge Broadway freak. I used this to my advantage: this story will be a direct spin-off of the gothic classic _"Jekyll and Hyde"_ (which itself was based on Robert L. Stevenson's classic novel of a similar name). Some of the dialougue will be taken directly from the script, where I will indicate with *'s around the section, and then at the end, I'll give the name of the song and a Youtube link, if I can find one (I couldn't for this first song) and also, you should know that I own a copy of the "Complete Work" which includes songs that did not make it into the Broadway production. I really like a bunch of these songs and will probably be using them (this chapter being one of them :D) as well. A bunch of characters will be linked to specific characters in the show:

Jekyll - Kowalski (honestly, I can't believe no one has done this yet! O.o)

Hyde - Adrian Black (you'll meet him a bit later)

Emma Carew, Jekyll's fiancee - Katrina (my OC from another fanfic - you'll be happy to know she is NOT blind in this story! It just works better that way)

Lucy Harris (you know, besides the whole "being-a-prostitute" thing :P) - Marlene

Alrighty, then. Enough talk - enjoy!

* * *

Andrew Peter Kowalski was many things during his life: he was a son to his parents; a pupil to his teachers; a confidant to his friends; a soldier to his race; and a lieutenant to the Skipper, just to name a few of his many counterparts. But above all, his two favorite roles were that of a scientist and, quite recently, a fiancé to his lover, Katrina.

He'd been considering the ideas behind all these roles for months now. He realized that these roles were only his good ones. Like every other human being, he'd been a cheater, stealer, liar, and, the worst of all, a _hypocrite_ at some point in his life. Oftentimes, he thought to himself on how amazing it was, that one penguin could be so many things all at once.

He finally came to the conclusion that, while the body itself had so many varied versions, the mind - the soul - had essentially two sides: good and evil. This brought a brilliant idea to his mind: What if there was a way to somehow separate these two sides, to isolate the evil in one's soul and destroy it forever?

And so the experiments had begun. He'd chosen his test subjects very carefully - mainly cockroaches or other insects, and of course, he never experimented unless the subject was willing and knew what would be happening. He told no one of his experiments - not even Katrina. His plan was to wow them at his monthly invention-talk, where he presented his latest creations to the rest of the team and Katrina.

So presentation day came. Skipper, Rico, Private, and Katrina sat on small blocks of concrete and a small podium was set up at the front, beside which Kowalski stood nervously.

Skipper slurped his fish coffee lazily, then said, "All right, Kowalski - show me what'cha got."

Kowalski cleared his throat and stepped behind the podium, shuffling the notes he'd written up (he'd taught himself to read and write - with Phil and Mason's help - for researching his experiments). He was incredibly nervous - this was easily the most important presentation to date, and he didn't have any visuals like an invention or a slideshow to help him out. He looked up, gulped, and began.

* "Each of us is the embodiment of two distinct and opposing forces - good and evil, each fighting for supremacy inside us. If we could separate this two forces, we could control and ultimately eliminate all evil from life. My experiments with insects have led me to believe that the day is not far off when this separation will be possible. To achieve it... I must be allowed to try it on a living* higher being... a bird or mammal, possibly a reptile."

His confidence was shaken a little when Skipper's eyebrows went up - way up - and he said disapprovingly, "Kowalski..."

"Skipper, just think of the possibilities! *Think of the world we could create! A world without anger or violence or strife, where man wouldn't kill anymore!* A clean, utopian society is right before us all, all I need is one person-"

"Who? Whose life were you going to risk for the sake of your own fantasies?" Skipper said harshly.

"Well - I was thinking Mort, since he has that immunity to pain and all..." Kowalski said. "And this is no fantasy, Skipper, this could be reality!"

"You want reality? Reality is what happened with Jiggles, and your Helmet, and the Time Machine, and the rocket to the moon, and the Luv-u-lator!"

"So you don't think I can do it." Kowalski stated angrily.

"It's not exactly that," Private said gently. "it's just - there are so many things that could go wrong!"

"Not you too!" Kowalski groaned.

"No, the Private's right." Skipper said. "Mort's life is at stake - and what if you did succeed? Where would all the evil go?" Kowalski froze for a second - he hadn't really gotten that far yet...

"That's why I need to experiment!" Kowalski cried out exasperatedly. "I need to know these things -"

"No, Kowalski." Skipper said seriously. "No more experiments. I know you have good intentions, but someone's life or sanity is not something to mess around with. As your commanding officer, I forbid you to continue with this."

All Kowalski could do was stare. He'd never felt this angry, or disappointed - he'd been so sure Skipper would agree, if anyone wanted no evil in the world, it was Skipper... Kowalski stood alone as Skipper called his team for drills outside. For once, no one asked questions as to why Kowalski wasn't going, too.

Or, at least, he thought he was alone... he felt a gentle flipper slip into his own, and he looked to see who it was.

"Katrina," he said, somewhat surprised - he'd forgotten she was here too. "you don't think I'm a lunatic, do you?"

"No, and Skipper doesn't think you're a lunatic." she said kindly. "I do think you're on the right trail -"

"Thank you!" Kowalski said exasperatedly.

"- but you're going at it the wrong way." Katrina continued. "Isn't there some way to get the information without a live subject?"

"There isn't, Katy." he said sadly. "These experiments are completely unprecedented. I do wish there was a way to do it without hurting someone… I've tried therapy techniques, countless combinations of different drugs and medicines… do you have any idea how many insects I hurt just to get where I am now? Dozens of poor souls that I ended up administering 'mercy killings', they were in so much pain…"

He stopped. He hadn't meant to tell that much - Katrina was shocked still. He added hastily, "But I'm positively sure that won't happen again, now with this new formula - there will be some pain, but theoretically separating all evil from your own soul shouldn't be a walk in the park-"

"Be careful, Kowalski." Katrina said, looking into his eyes. "You're treading dangerous waters, here..."

"Great advancement is always accompanied with great risk, Katrina." he said, then grinned. "That's what I like about science, after all."

* * *

The song used was called "Board of Governors". (You'll find a song called that, but the version I used got changed quite a bit.)

I hope you like it, I know I love writing it!

(One last thing - There's a bunch of different versions of the show on Youtube - the actor I'm mostly basing Kowalski off of is Rob Evan. If you stumble across the official DVD version, starring _David Hasselhoff,_ of all people... I apologize in advance.)

Review!


	2. Transformation

Hey everyone! I just kinda felt like putting up another chapter, so I did! I noticed one of my beautiful reviewers mentioned that there's not enough 'mad science' in the world... hope this chapter fills your yearning for a while!

* * *

Unbeknownst to Skipper, Kowalski did continue his experiments. He new formula proved to be too much for the insects' primitive bodies and did not work on them. Kowalski was frustrated - he knew this formula would work, it had all the right reactions... until the cockroaches' ancient brains fried with these new chemicals.

What he needed was a more 'recent' body, better evolved with time - only a bird, mammal, or reptile would do.

The problem was... who? Many different 'subjects' whizzed through his mind: Kitka, that fiendish falcon who surprisingly often barged back into the zoo, asking Skipper to take her back; Salvio, the lying snake who'd somehow managed his way back into the zoo - Skipper had made sure that the first thing done that day was seal off the vent in his exhibit; Julien, who annoyed the heck out of everyone - this idea quickly left Kowalski's mind, Julien was a friend; and, for one wicked moment, he imagined trapping Joey in the lab and using him, that kangaroo was so disrespectful and bossy and... Kowalski literally slapped himself. The very idea! This was exactly why he needed to do this experiment, there was too much evil to be ignored any longer, even inside himself...

Kowalski froze. An idea formed in his mind...

_Himself..._

…

"September 13th - two hundred, forty-six hours in the morning." he said into his voice log he kept for the experiment. "*I have started this alone, and I must finish it alone. There is no longer a choice - I know that I must use myself as the subject of the experiment.* After all, maybe the best way to understand the reactions is to experience them..."

He stopped the tape, and looked around the room. His lab was like his second home - usually the bubbling chemicals and metal instruments were comforting and familiar to him, but tonight he did not even notice them. Tonight, all he was able to see was a small syringe filled with a bright red liquid, not unlike the blood in his veins. It was his formula, that he would be testing tonight.

No, not tonight - now.

Methodically, he began prepping himself for the injection. He tied a ribbon around his leg (the distribution point) very tightly, cutting off the blood flow. He washed his leg in clean, cold water and sanitized it and the needle. He grabbed a couple of tissues and set them near his chair, then gingerly took the syringe in his flipper.

He was scared. He had no idea what was about to happen to him, other than a great pain that would barely manage not to kill him. He stalled for a minute or so, admiring the formula itself - such a bright red, like a stoplight you had to run right past to get to your destination... but soon enough, he knew the time had come.

Kowalski moved aside his feathers and found a vein, then poked the syringe through his own skin and slowly pushed the liquid into his own body.

He pulled it out when the formula was gone, found his tissues and held them to the injection spot, then undid the ribbon, releasing the blood flow. Kowalski then flicked his recorder back on.

"*Two hundred forty-eight hours... it is done. I have injected five centiliters of formula H-J-7. I must now be wise - try to analyze each change in me..." he paused, licked his beak, then continued. "Bitter taste in the mouth… salty… stings the tongue. Warm in the gullet. Lightheadedness." Without even noticing it, he began giggling to himself. "No n-noticeable be-behavioral d-d-differences…" he noticed the giggling and stopped himself. "A slight feeling of euphoria... I wonder... *how will it be,*when it starts?* Will I see the world through different eyes?* But… there is nothing left to do, but show the world..."

And then it began.

*"Oh my... my God..." Kowalski muttered, clutching his stomach. "Something's happening, I can't explain... something inside me, a breathtaking pain! Devours, consumes me, and drives me insaaaa-AHH!"*

He screamed and fell to the floor. The room spun in and out of focus... the _pain, _oh God, he'd never felt anything like this before, never. He screamed again as he tried to get up and find the morphine he'd set out just in case... no luck, his bones had turned to jelly, his insides were on _fire!_

But he had to remember why he was doing this at all. He screamed into his recorder:

*"Suddenly - uncontrolled! Something is - taking - hold! Suddenly - AGONY! Filling me - killing me! Suddenly - out of breath! What is this? Is this _death?"*_

He felt himself somehow slip away…

"*Suddenly… **look at me…can it be?*"**

The pain was gone - but so was Kowalski.

**"*What is this… creature… that I see?*"**

Something had taken over his body - no, some_one._ That someone caught a glimpse of himself in a beaker. His feathers were sticking out in all directions - his back was curved, making him stoop over - his eyes were no longer Kowalski's clear dark blue, but a clouded dull red - feathers on his head had grown to such a length that they partially obscured his face - impressive muscles now bloomed out from underneath penguin fat.

That someone in Kowalski's body took a deep, exhilarating breath, liking what he saw in that beaker.

"***Free…"* **he growled, then saw the recorder. It had been on this whole time. He sauntered over and raised his hand towards the stop button.

"**Three o'clock… and all's well…"** he sang softly into it, like a old-fashioned town crier, and flicked off the record button.

* * *

The song is "First Transformation" and I do actually have a good clip for this one!

http:/ www. youtube .com /watch?v=pHDEdAhGCj0

P.S. The bolded print at the bottom is our first glimpse of "Hyde". In the show, the main way the audience differenciates Jekyll and Hyde is that Jekyll wears his hair in a Victorian-style ponytail, and Hyde just lets it hang over his face. In my story, Kowalski will always be in regular print, and Hyde (Black) will always be in bolded print. Hope that clears up some stuff!

Review!


	3. Alive!

Hello! I couldn't wait to get this next chapter up, so I didn't. (Wait, that is.) Is it wrong that I like writing "Hyde's" scenes so much? (I've written up to chapter six, so don't judge my morality or sanity on this subject until a couple of chapters till now...)

Remember, "Hyde's" lines are all in bolded.

Enjoy!

* * *

That night, Marlene tossed and turned in her bed. She'd made the mistake of having too many oysters before bed, and she was having a lot of trouble sleeping. For the third time that night, she woke up from her fitful sleep and glanced at her clock. It read: 3:05 AM. She groaned to herself - you would think, after twenty-five years (otter time, at least), she would have learned by now not to eat too much before bed, it made her feel very restless.

She got up from her bed, hoping to release some of her pent-up energy by taking a cool swim. But when she was outside, something odd caught her eye - a dark figure running about with a stealthy step. It was impossible to tell you who it was.

Keep in mind that it was three in the morning and Marlene wasn't thinking straight. She called out, thinking it was someone from the zoo, "Hey, you!"

The figure stopped and turned to face her. Marlene recognized the white frontal feathers - so one of the penguins was out for a late-night stroll, huh?

"Come here!" She called warmly. Some company might be nice, someone to talk to while her energy depleted.

Quick as lightning, the penguin sprinted in her direction and deftly jumped inside. He continued running and grabbed her arm, pinning her to the wall.

"Hey, what the-" she said indignantly, then saw his face. It was all she could do not to scream - you could hardly see his face, these long feathers covered it all up, but his alarming, dull-red eyes were only all too noticeable. She could also see his beak curled into a grin that was at once a warning light, and yet oddly inviting.

"**Yes, my dear?"** his voice sounded... familiar from somewhere, but was too slick and dangerous to really bring anyone to mind. But the point was, she did not know this guy and wanted him away.

"N-nothing," she stammered. She tried to get away, but he wouldn't let her budge. "I thought you were someone I knew-"

"**I'm sure you did, my love."** he said with a dark chuckle. **"And what, might I ask, brings such a **_**beautiful **_**thing like yourself out at such an hour?"**

"I - uh - couldn't sleep."

"**Oh, neither could I!"** the penguin snaked his flipper around her waist. **"Why bother with **_**sleeping **_**when the night gives us so many glorious things to…"** his flipper slowly slid further down her back and stroked her tail, _**"…explore..."**_

With a gasp, Marlene forcefully twisted her arm out of his grip and roughly pushed him away.

"Who the hell are you?" she spat angrily.

The penguin smiled even wider. **"Hell…exactly… my name is - Black. Adrian Black."**

"Well, _Adrian, _you'd better get out of here or I'll-"

"**But my love - Marlene - don't you understand?"**

"How do you know my-"

"**Oh, sweet Marlene, you **_**don't **_**understand!" **The penguin - Adrian - said patronizingly. He bowed (it wasn't that hard with his curved back) and took her hand. **"It was **_**fate **_**that you and I met tonight! I am meant to be your - your guardian angel! But... whether I lead to heaven or to hell..."** he kissed her hand,** "...that is up to you, my dear."**

"No, thanks. I'm doing fine on my own." she said firmly. She jerked her hand away, wiped the kiss off on her fur, and pointed the way out.

Adrian shrugged. **"Hell it is, then… the choice was yours, love."** He turned to leave and Marlene began her way inside to lock her door.

"**But Marlene..." **he said, loud enough for her to hear but not anyone else, **"I'll still be watching over you... after tonight, you shall never be alone... never..."**

Marlene felt a chill go down her spine and she sprinted inside her home, thanking God that the penguins had decided to keep the security features after the badger attack. She put her habitat on full lock-down after she was sure he was gone.

She didn't fall asleep again that night.

...

_Adrian..._ he thought to himself, chuckling. The perfect name for himself - in old English, it meant "The Dark One..."

He took a deep breath and ran. He jumped another fence and vaulted himself off of Burt the Elephant and flew out of the zoo walls, landing in Central Park. Adrian sucked in the freshest air in New York, a frightening glint shining in his dark red eyes.

Never, ever, had _Kowalski _ever felt this free - this _alive! _Adrian smiled to himself as he ran and ran and ran - if the fool knew what his body was capable of, not simply his brain… but Kowalski was too logical and, quite simply, too _weak _to feel anything like what Adrian felt. Of course, the

Having a sudden urge, he ran faster and lithely jumped right into a tree. A squirrel lay on the branch he landed on. He was sound asleep... drooling on the bark... disgusting. Adrian didn't want something like _that_ so close to him - he kicked the squirrel in the side and off the branch.

Ah. Much better.

Another urge eased its way loose from what little resistance was left in him... a song. Adrian laughed out loud - he was probably the first penguin to need _two _heart-songs! He jumped a little off the branch and swung off of it, flying through the air and landing even higher on the tree. He sang out, hearing the music in his ears:

_**What is this feeling**_

_**Of power and drive**_

_**I've never known?**_

_**I feel ALIVE!**_

_**Where does this feeling**_

_**Of power derive,**_

_**Making me know**_

_**Why I'm alive?**_

_**Like the night, **_

_**it's a secret,**_

_**Sinister, dark and unknown.**_

_**I do not know what I seek,**_

_**Yet I'll seek it alone!**_

_**I have a thirst**_

_**That I cannot deprive**_

_**Never have I felt so alive!**_

_**There is no battle**_

_**I couldn't survive -**_

_**Feeling like this -**_

_**Feeling alive!**_

_**Like the moon, **_

_**an enigma,**_

_**Lost and alone in the night**_

_**Damned by some heavenly stigma,**_

_**But blazing with light!**_

_**It's the feeling of being alive!**_

_**Filled with evil, but truly alive!**_

_**I**__**t's the truth that I'll never give back**_

_**It's the feeling of being Adrian Black!**_

He ended his sinister song with a guttural laugh deep in his throat... he squinted. Something was hurting his eyes, and he tried to see what it was. His stomach plummeted. The sun. Morning had come.

Suddenly, a severe pain hit him in the head. He hissed as his flipper flew up to his head, and he staggered back. The world went black as his spine straightened and feathers grew backwards into his skull, until they were a normal length...

**"****Ugh… **ohh…" he groaned. His eyes, once again a deep blue, blinked open.

Adrian was gone, and Kowalski was himself again. He shook his head a little, bringing the world back into focus, and glanced around. He wondered to himself, _How did I get out here, in the park?_

He didn't remember anything that had happened that night.

* * *

The song is "Alive". Here's an awesome link:

http:/ www. youtube .com/watch?v=8Uyge0h32XM&feature=related (I love Rob Evan so much - he actually sang with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in a couple of their albums!)

Review!


	4. Take Me As I Am

To celebrate the end of my semester tests and winter break, I decided to put up another chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Kowalski walked into the HQ a few minutes later - still not remembering what had happened that night - to find Skipper, Rico, Private, and even Katrina already awake. Marlene was also there, being comforted by Katrina - she seemed to be quite shaken up over something.

"Kowalski!" Skipper barked. "Where were you?"

"I woke up in the park." Kowalski said in a dazed voice. "I must have been sleepwalking or something of the sort."

"See to it that it doesn't happen again." Skipper said. "Marlene says she had an unexpected visitor last night. A penguin. I'm thinking it's one of our enemies, in disguise-"

"What?" Kowalski gasped - truly, this was news to him. "Who was it?"

"He must be going under a different name, I've never heard-"

Marlene interrupted Skipper. She said, in an unusually worried voice, "He said his name was Adrian Black. Does it ring a bell?"

"_Adrian-!" _Kowalski hissed under his breath. He spun around, turning his back to Marlene. The events of the last night flooded into his memory - the intense pain, escaping out of the HQ, harassing Marlene, the song - all through the eyes of Adrian himself. He quickly realized he was able to access these memories because he and Adrian did share the same brain - two separate beings in one body… well, he had to admit, he'd been able to separate evil from himself, but this was… unexpected, to say the least.

"Oh, God…" he muttered to himself, horrified.

"What's up?" Skipper asked. "Do you know him?"

Kowalski broke out of his reverie, and opened his beak - then snapped it shut. Of _course _he couldn't tell! He was merely in the middle of an experiment - this was why he experimented, to find out what happened afterwards - he'd just have to be much more careful next time. Besides, who would believe him? The whole thing was a little far-fetched, to say the least.

"Uh - yes." Kowalski said. "I mean, no. I mean… I mean, the name is familiar, but I can't remember how." That wasn't entirely untrue - just mere seconds ago, he had been blissfully unaware of Adrian's existence.

"Well, tell me when you remember." Skipper said. "I want to keep an eye on him if he shows up again - you tell me if he bugs you again, Marlene. We'll set him straight."

Marlene smiled. "Thanks. Thanks to you too, Katrina."

"Anytime." Katrina said.

Marlene nodded. "I think I'll go home now, I'll be okay." She left the HQ, calm and reassured.

Skipper sighed. "Good, that's taken care of, for now. All right, men - warm-ups in ten minutes."

Skipper left to prepare for their warm-up, and Rico and Private walked off to do something - Kowalski didn't see because someone tapped his shoulder. He turned.

"Katrina." He said with a weak smile. "Uh - good morning."

"Where were you last night?" she said curiously.

"Uh - I was sleepwalking, like I told Skipper-"

"But you never even came to bed. We may not be married quite yet, Kowalski, but I can tell when your bed hasn't been slept in." She pointed to his perfectly made bunk.

Kowalski blinked, racking his brain, then said, "I - I fell asleep in the lab. I was running some tests, and -"

Katrina frowned. "Tests? Kowalski, you're not still doing that good-and-evil experiment, are you?"

"Well… yes." Kowalski admitted. He hated lying to her, but the look she gave him made him cringe on the inside. "But… but Katrina, I finally found a way to experiment without… using any _more _subjects."

The look faded away, and Katrina smiled. "You did? That's great! How-"

"But the problem is," Kowalski cut her off before she had a chance to ask how he did it. "The results weren't… weren't exactly what I had hypothesized."

"Oh. Well… at least, now you know, right? I'm sure you can find a way around it." Katrina said encouragingly.

Kowalski faked an agreeing sort of smile, while thinking to himself, _if only she knew…_

…

Later that day…

It was time to entertain the people. The penguins put on their cute act… but something was troubling Kowalski. It wasn't Adrian, he'd done some thinking while going through routine warm-ups and breakfast, and thought he had a plan… it was Katrina. Talking to her this morning had put some worrying thoughts into his mind and he couldn't shake it away. He had to talk to her.

He got an idea. Kowalski waddled up to her and whispered, "Katie… can I talk to you?"

"There's kind of a big crowd today - can it wait?" she said without stopping her adorable dance.

"I'd rather it didn't - here." he took her flipper and gently rubbed her beak with his own. The crowd, as expected, went "Aww!"

Katrina, a little giggly, said, "What are you doing?"

"Follow my lead!" he said. Katrina got it and nodded. Katrina and Kowalski did a cute little dance together as they carried on their conversation.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, you see…" Kowalski started. "Katrina… you, marrying me… I'm just going to tell you now, it's probably not going to be easy."

"I wasn't expecting it to be." Katrina said, a little surprised at where he was going at.

"Because you know, I'm already sort of married - to my work. Our first rule around here has been and always will be 'The team comes first,' and my science… I'm on the brink of great discovery and I don't want to give that up."

"Kowalski, you don't have to." Katrina said. "Both of us have different interests and priorities - I have my music and literature as well."

"You do know that I often work late into the evening if I can't find a stopping point in my projects, or from on a mission."

"And I like to listen to music or an Audiobook before I go to sleep at night." Katrina smiled and stopped her dancing. "Everyone has faults, Kowalski - part of love is being able to see past those faults to see what is beautiful underneath."

Kowalski smiled and hugged her close, making the crowd go "Aww!" much more loudly than before. As he held Katrina in his arms, he remarked to himself that it wasn't hard to find what was beautiful about her.

* * *

:D I didn't take any lyrics exactly, but the whole idea of this chapter is based off the song "Take Me As I Am" (just a theatre nerd's comment - the man singing is not Rob Evan, his name is Robert Cuccioli - I'm trying my best to stay off the Hoff, if you know what I mean)

http:/ www. you tube .com/watch?v=fbWcEeYiSC8

P.S. Enjoy the lighthearted-ness while you can - it won't last long - lots of action and mystery is headed our way...

Review!


	5. Alive Again

This chapter is dedicated to 101 giraffes, who asked that I update again before he (she?) leaves. Since he's (she's?) been so good at reviewing, I did! Merry Christmas!

* * *

Two days later, Kowalski decided to try the experiment again, but much more carefully this time. He locked himself in his lab, using a brand-new lock that opened by entering a password on the keypad - a password only he knew. Nope - this time, no one would get hurt, he was sure of it.

_That is… except for myself…_ he thought grimly as he picked up the syringe and once again prepared himself for the injection. It was much harder this time to poke himself, now that he knew what would happen afterward. His flippers shook, and he lost confidence. What finally made him do it was imagining a better, safer, cleaner world for Katrina and himself to start in, afresh.

The pain was exactly the same as before - the same blinding sting that seemed to last hours even though it was only a few minutes - and the same sensation as he felt himself slip away into darkness…

…

Adrian opened his eyes. So the fool had decided to try this again, had he? Well, _Adrian _for one had no qualms about it whatsoever.

He smiled his vicious smile and ran for the door. To his dismay, he saw that Kowalski had put some sort of high-tech lock with a keypad on the door. No matter how hard Adrian strained himself - even with his noticeable muscles - he could not open the door.

This would _not _do. This room, this very building was stifling him - Adrian thought for a moment, then had an idea. He sat down on a chair and relaxed his whole body. He searched through his mind, through its deepest corners, all his own memories and what he dimly could remember from Kowalski's life… and finally, he found it. A warm spot where Kowalski's consciousness hid away while Adrian took over his body.

He poked his way inside. Kowalski's voice shouted inside his ears: _Don't you DARE! You STAY in this room! Please, leave Marlene alone -_

"**Oh, what an idea! I hadn't even thought of the lovely lady… so she told on me, I see? I just might have to pay her a little visit, later… but now, where is it?" **he rummaged around in Kowalski's mind, ignoring his orders. **"Ah, here it is! 2597601, then? Excellent! Thank you, sir!"**

_NO! LEAVE HER -_

Adrian left Kowalski's consciousness, and the scientist's voice was silent once more. Adrian, please with himself, jumped off the chair and strode to the locked door. He pushed the keypad.

"**2-5-9-7-6-0-1..." **it clicked open. **"Perfect."**

He silently and swiftly left the HQ. Ahh… how good it felt to be out of that place and out here, in the open! _**Now then, **_he thought efficiently, _**the first thing to do is see to dear Marlene…**_

He went to her habitat and jumped the fence and pool with a frightening ease, like he'd already done it a million times. He peered inside… oh, how sweet she looked while she slept so soundly… even her snore had a certain charm to it, as her body quaked with each breath.

"**Marleeeee-eeene…"** he sang out softly.

Her eyelids fluttered open. "Wh-who's there?"

"**It's me - your guardian angel…"**

"You!" she gasped. She sprang to her feet, pulling something out from under her pillow - a small knife. "Stay back or I'll-"

Once again using the element of surprise to his advantage, he ran up to her and, just like last time, pinned her arms to the wall with one flipper and gently pried the knife away with the other.

"**Come now, Marlene,"** he said, as if scolding a child, **"Is there really a need for such violence? And if so, I really thought you would do better than **_**that…**_** perhaps, sometime I could show you how to do better…"**

Marlene was nearly in tears. "Please, leave me alone…"

"**Oh… you're scared." **Adrian, with a smile that reminded one of crocodile tears, hugged her, pressing her head into his chest. **"Oh, my dear, there's really no reason to be frightened… if you make me happy, I'll make you happy, it's actually quite simple."**

Then, Marlene got angry. This was HER home! "Simple? I'll give you _simple-"_

She jerked her leg up, sinking her knee right into Adrian's kidney. He grunted in pain and accidentally let her go. Marlene ran for the exit to go get Skipper, or Rico, or Julien, _somebody_ that could help her. Adrian quickly recovered and hissed savagely in anger. He got up and bounded after her. Adrian grabbed her by the tail and pulled hard, not only making her fall but actually pulling her off the ground and smashing into the opposite wall. She shouted, but her cry was quickly stifled as Adrian bent over her and shook her roughly by the shoulders.

"**I have given you **_**sufficient **_**warning, girl! I can EASILY make your life a living hell, but only if you so choose it!" **he shouted in her face. _**"Don't make the wrong choice!"**_

"I won't!" Marlene said, begging him. "I won't - please, please don't hurt me!"

Adrian relaxed himself again, and let out a contented sigh. **"That is **_**much **_**better, my dear - you're finally starting to learn." **He glanced at her clock - midnight! He was running out of time before he changed back into Kowalski. **"I'm so glad we straightened that out, my love. But now I have to dash - I hope you will have learned your lesson properly by next time we meet."**

Marlene nodded, submitting.

Adrian got up, brushed himself off, and was about to leave when he said, **"Oh dear, I almost forgot - Marlene? If you so much as breathe a word about what happened tonight, I will know - and you will pay. Do you understand?"**

Marlene nodded again. Adrian smiled to himself, and left without another word.

…

_**Ah, a most productive visit, **_Adrian thought to himself. He knew Marlene would do as he said and not blab. Most helpful, indeed - well, to him, anyway.

He had also told Marlene that he would see her again, and he was almost sure he would… but there was always the off chance that the fool scientist would not take the drugs again, to save Marlene… Adrian thought about that. To _never _be alive again? To never walk on this Earth again, and with no one and nothing to remember him by - Kowalski and Marlene, sure, but he was quite sure they would want to forget him as soon as possible… the thought was unbearable. Even if Kowalski came to his senses and shut him up for good, Adrian felt that he deserved to be remembered! The question was… how?

He only had about a half-hour to do his deed - Kowalski had taken a smaller dose of the injection, and Adrian had already spent so much time with Marlene, not to mention the time taken to get the password…

Adrian smiled. He wanted to do something… _bad. _Really bad.

He sat down on a ledge and sifted through the memories he'd retained from sharing the same brain as Kowalski, searching for something to do…

He came across something that might have some sort of an opportunity - a snake, by name of Savio, who lived in the Reptile House. Apparently, from what Adrian could tell, he'd eaten about four of Kowalski's friends, then covered himself with slick lies after each meal. He was later defeated by some elephant.

That memory irritated Adrian. While he admired the snake's tenacity, he saw that it was one thing to kill and eat another animal, and it was quite another to become a liar and a… a _hypocrite _because of it, denying his actions to save his own tail! Adrian remarked to himself that if HE killed anyone, he would never deny it, he would be proud… wait a minute…

Adrian chuckled darkly to himself. _**What a splendid idea…**_

…

About ten minutes later, Adrian snuck into the Reptile House, now armed with some necessary items for his plan, mainly a few quarts of gasoline (stolen from the zookeeper's cart) and some matches. He looked around trying to find this Savio's enclosure. He didn't need to look far - it was right in the middle of the wall. It wasn't hard to find Savio either - he laid all curled up upon the plastic branches in his enclosure, sleeping peacefully.

Adrian grinned like a maniac, knowing the time had come. He hid his things behind a trash can and slunk his way up to the glass keeping Savio inside. He tapped the glass with his beak four times.

Savio blinked his eyes open. "Who's there?" he said.

Adrian said nothing, but tapped the glass twice more.

Savio looked down. "Who are you, and why have you disturbed my sleep?" he said in a distinctly South American accent. He did not recognize Adrian's form at all, Adrian was happy to see.

"**I am your greatest dream, and your worst nightmare." **Adrian replied vaguely.

"What do you mean?" Savio replied suspiciously.

As he spoke, Adrian paced the floor slowly. **"I know who you are, Savio. I know you hunger for more that what the zookeeper can give you. You were born in the wild rainforest of the Amazon - born with the mind of a hunter. Since being taken from your homeland, you have hungered for more than merely food - you have thirsted for the thrill of the chase as well. But you have not had that for a while now, have you? Not since those penguins - not me, by the way - locked you and all opportunity away like a common zoo-dweller. Well, Savio, I am here tonight to challenge you, **_**mano a mano, **_**winner takes all. And I do mean **_**all -**_** I may be no mammal, but…"** as much as Adrian hated his scientific counterpart, he quoted, **"isn't victory sweetest after you've tasted defeat?"**

"Indeed it is." Savio licked his lips, already able to taste the sweet, meaty victory in his mouth. He frowned, and said, "As much as your offer pleases me, o desperate and suicidal one, there is one problem: the penguins locked me in here, and there is no way I can get out. So now, go away so I can return to my sleep."

"**Not so fast, serpent: that is where you are wrong." **Adrian said. He walked up to the right side of the glass and touched a brick in the wall. He pressed down and easily slid it away, revealing a strange high-tech scanner. Adrian placed his flipper upon it. The scanner moved across the screen a couple of times, then beeped. A loud 'click' was heard, and the glass fell down upon the floor.

_**I suppose at least one good thing came out of sharing Kowalski's body, **_Adrian thought to himself.

Savio could hardly believe it. He was… free? He poked his head out about a foot into the air, where the glass used to be, testing to see if it was truly gone. Feeling nothing, he laughed joyfully and launched himself out of the small space. He circled himself around Adrian.

"Now then, penguin." Savio said menacingly, "let's make this quick, I am most eager to stretch my muscles."

Adrian, unflinching, merely said, **"As am I. You first."**

Savio hissed and snapped at Adrian. Adrian deftly dodged the snake's mouth by jumping in the air and landed about two feet away on the floor. Once again, he began to sing:

"_**Animals trapped behind bars in the zoo**_

_**Need to run rampant and free!"**_

He dodged Savio's incoming tail, this time landing on top of it and easily snapping the end of his spine, eliciting a hiss of pain from Savio. He pulled hard on the snake's struggling body several times, jerking Savio's head closer and closer. No matter how violently Savio resisted, it did not matter to Adrian. He continued as he pulled:

"_**Predators live by the prey they pursue-"**_

He looked right into Savio's eyes. Savio opened his mouth to bite his foe; Adrian simply caught a hold of his mouth and snapped off his fangs as if they were twigs. Blood poured out. Savio screamed. Adrian shouted over him:

"_**This time, the predator's ME!"**_

He swung Savio's body around like a lasso…

"_**Lust, like a raging desire**_

_**Fills my whole soul with its curse…"**_

… and whipped Savio's head into the wall, distinctly hearing the skull crack.

"_**Burning with primitive fire**_

_**Berserk and perverse!"**_

Savio, however, kept himself awake under the literally mind-blowing pain, and was angrier than ever. Hoping to catch Adrian in a viselike grip, he rapidly slithered after him. Immensely enjoying himself, Adrian danced around the room, dodging and ducking out of the way.

"_**Tonight - I'll plunder heaven blind**_

_**Steal from all the gods!**_

_**Tonight - I'll take from all mankind**_

_**Conquer all the odds!"**_

Deciding enough was enough, he jumped and grabbed hold of Savio's head and ran with it in his flippers…

"_**And I feel I'll LIVE on forever-"**_

… on the word LIVE, he came to a wall and forcefully ground Savio's head into it, making him scream again.

"_**With Satan himself by my side!"**_

He dropped Savio, who fell to the floor. He could not move - the pain in his head was too much. Adrian, finally able to really use his muscles, piled all of Savio's body up in a heap and heaved the snake high above his head, then threw him in a clump back into the enclosure.

"_**And I'll show the world to not turn back**_

_**On the name they'll remember as Adrian Black!"**_

He grabbed the gasoline and belly-slid back to the unfortunate snake. He smiled before jumping into the habitat, landing on a branch, and pouring the gasoline onto Savio's body.

"_**What a feeling to be so ALIVE!**_

_**I have never seen me so ALIVE!"**_

Adrian jumped out of the enclosure, slammed the glass back on, and grabbed a couple of matches. Ninja-style, he climbed the wall and launched himself into the opening that led to the air vents. He slid to where he knew Savio's enclosure was and opened the vent, breaking the lock.

"_**It's a feeling I'll never give back!"**_

He lit the match…

"_**It's the feeling of being Adrian -"**_

… and dropped the flame inside, quickly putting the cover back on and sitting on it. When he felt the metal covering quiver with the force of the explosion, he belted joyfully:

"_**BLAAAAACK!"**_

His song was over. Out of curiosity, he slid out of the vent, jumping out of the opening and onto the floor. He smiled with satisfaction when he saw Savio's enclosure - to see him writhing in agony, with the flames not merely licking at, but eating up his huge body. Adrian could hear his screaming from behind the glass… ah, it was like music to his ears. Eventually, though, the screaming passed and the snake fell limp, succumbing to the fire.

Savio was dead.

Adrian chuckled, then began laughing out loud, with the fire sparkling in his dark red eyes. No, he would never forget this moment, never forget the feeling of the music and joy and adrenaline rushing through his veins.

Suddenly, he felt a pain rising up inside his head. The drugs were wearing off. Adrian grunted and fell to his knees. He twitched a few times, gasping, then came to a halt…

…

Kowalski did not open his eyes, though he could feel himself easing back into his body. He was afraid to see what Adrian had done this time. He remembered Adrian breaking into his mind and stealing the password out of the lab, but no more… What horrible thing had occurred? It couldn't be pretty…

Kowalski cracked an eye open and looked up. His eyes flew open, and he gasped - it was Savio! His whole enclosure was on fire - _he _was on fire! But the worst part was… he wasn't doing anything about it, he was just laying there… Savio was… already dead.

Kowalski's eyes filled with tears - he had not cared much for the snake, but he was as much a living being as he was… and Kowalski had sworn his flippers would never take life away again, after the experiments… what had he _done?_

Without any other hesitation, Kowalski turned around and broke open the glass case holding a fire extinguisher and took it out. He ran to the other side of the room, and opened Savio's enclosure with the flipper-scanner he'd installed - unpleased to see it was already open - and quickly extinguished the fire. No one else would get hurt tonight, if Kowalski could help it.

After the flames were well put out, Kowalski dropped the empty canister, exhausted. The full measure of what happened began to sink in… Adrian had killed another animal, willfully… joyfully…

Kowalski knew he had a decision to make. This time, he would make the right one.

He turned tail and ran.

* * *

Is it bad that I had fun writing this chapter?

The song I used is "Alive Reprise", and Savio is supposed to represent the Bishop of Basingston.

http:/ www. youtube .com /watch?v=W8cbwD1RhMs

Review!


	6. Sympathy, Tenderness

Hello! You know, as a person, I feel horrible for writing that last chapter... as an authoress, however, I was delighted to hear how... surprised you all were in the reviews. It was my pleasure :)

Here's a bit more lighthearted chapter... well, there's no killing, at least...

Enjoy!

* * *

Kowalski managed to get back to the HQ, crawl into bed and pretend to sleep for a while, all before warm-ups began. He participated as normally as possible - until Alice showed up. She was shocked to find one enclosure of the Reptile House had been burned horribly - as was the inhabitant of the enclosure.

Skipper was equally shocked upon overhearing this, and had his team investigate while Alice called the police.

One of the first things Skipper noticed was that the secret flipper-scanner had been opened. He had Rico cough up a flipper-print duster, and had Kowalski dust the scanner.

"No prints, Skipper." He reported. "Some of the foam from the extinguisher must have washed it off." (In truth, he'd quickly wiped it away himself with some of the leftover foam while no one was looking closely enough.)

"Blast!" Skipper cursed.

Private, who was standing guard at the front, called out, "Skippah! Alice is coming back!"

"Move out, men!" Skipper ordered. The four penguins slid across the room and hid behind a trash can - the same one, Kowalski realized with a jolt, that Adrian had hid his tools of death behind. The team waited for Alice to walk inside, and they slid out the door as it shut closed.

Nobody really said much as they solemnly returned to the HQ. Private was nearly in tears, seeing poor Savio the way he was; Rico was simply wondering how they did it; Kowalski was just trying to act as normally as possible as he saw the whole scene replay in his mind, like he was watching a movie through Adrian's eyes; Skipper was racking his brain trying to figure out who had done it, and why. He knew it had to be a penguin - the scanner recognized penguin feathers… Skipper figured it was someone trying to get his team's attention, which had certainly worked… but what stumped Skipper was the extinguisher. Why would they bother putting out the fire, it wasn't like they could cover up their dirty work with it in any way…? Then, Skipper remembered: Marlene. She might at least be able to give a description, it had been a penguin who'd 'visited' her a few days ago… Adrian Black, she'd said his name was…

Katrina was waiting anxiously on the concrete floe when they returned. "Well?" she asked nervously to Kowalski.

"It's true." he answered. Katrina gasped, and Kowalski continued, "We found him dead in his cage. The whole enclosure was half burned to ashes… and so was Savio."

"That poor snake…" Katrina whispered to herself.

"But maybe he deserved it!" Kowalski blurted out. "I mean, he _ate _four other animals with no thought to _their _lives-"

"No one deserves to die that way!" Skipper growled. "I thought I had already told you that, Kowalski!"

Kowalski blinked and looked away, ashamed. He knew Skipper was completely right - he had no idea why he'd said what he did. Something just came over him, and he'd said the first thing that came to mind… Kowalski wondered if it might be a side effect of the transformations…

"Excuse me?" a nervous, timid voice said from their fishbowl entrance. Kowalski didn't even recognize the voice, so he looked up to see who it was. There, poking her head through the entryway, was Marlene. Kowalski already could see the fur on her face was matted with the remnants of tears.

"Can I come in?" she said. Kowalski was shocked - she usually just barged in with her cheerful manner and upbeat tone, ready to make their day better.

Skipper assured her she could enter, and she slowly descended the ladder, holding her arm like a guilty child when she was on the ground.

"What's wrong?" Skipper asked kindly - even he could tell something was up.

"I - uh - I actually wanted to talk to Kowalski." she said. "Privately?"

Kowalski's stomach twisted. He didn't remember if Adrian had fulfilled his threat of seeing Marlene again, though he was almost certain he (Adrian) had. Had the fiend told her the truth…?

"Um… of course." Kowalski said, trying to focus on her and ignore the stares from the other penguins - especially Skipper and Katrina. "Uh… maybe if we stepped into the lab?"

"Sure." Marlene said with a bit of relief. He opened the door for her, and they both walked inside the lab.

"Is something wrong?" Kowalski asked, almost as fearful as she was.

"Yeah…" Marlene struggled to speak. She seemed to be yearning to tell him something… but what actually came out of her mouth was, "My back. I - uh - fell against the wall yesterday, and it's been a little sensitive ever since. Could you see if I've got a bruise or something?"

"Of course." Kowalski pulled up a stool. "Here, sit." Marlene did so, and Kowalski went to work. "Where are you sensitive at?"

"About here -" she pointed just below the nape of her neck, "to here-" a few inches above her tail, "to here." Near the center of her back, just to the left of her spine.

"All right." Kowalski put one flipper on her good shoulder, steadying her. With the other flipper, he pressed down a little on the sensitive area, as softly and gently as he could. Nevertheless, Marlene flinched and sucked in a breath, clearly in pain.

"I'm sorry!" he said quickly. Marlene released the air out of her lungs and she tried to relax. Kowalski's heart broke - what had Adrian done to her? "I'm _so _sorry…"

"It's okay." Marlene said tensely. "I'm okay."

"Here, maybe I can help…" Kowalski gently moved is flippers across her back, massaging the muscles as well as he could without hurting her. Kowalski felt he had to help her somehow, and this was the best he could do for now - maybe if he could relax the muscles, she would heal faster.

And it did help. Marlene quickly relaxed at his touch and let out a quiet sigh. It felt good… even the slight pain from the bruise was more than bearable… it was even comforting, it felt like the pain one feels as they heal… Marlene couldn't help but look down at his flippers when he massaged her shoulders. They looked so kind, so gentle… so different from the last flippers that had touched her - no! She didn't want to think about that, not now… she focused her attention to how much better she was already feeling, just by Kowalski's small act of sympathy.

Maybe that was what she had really come here for… *sympathy, tenderness… warm as the summer…*

She leaned her head downward and closed her eyes as he moved on to her neck. Oh, sweet _oysters, _that felt good… the only thing she worried about now was whether Kowalski had noticed a shiver go down her spine.

Wait a minute…

Kowalski… this really was Kowalski… you know, the same one that was _engaged _to be _married _to Katrina, one of Marlene's best friends! She shouldn't - couldn't - be feeling this way about him!

With regret, Marlene turned to face him. "I probably should be going." she said. Was it wrong that her heart skipped a beat when she saw his eyes, how concerned he was for here? "Thank you for everything." And then, wanting to truly thank him, she leaned in and kissed his cheek sweetly and turned to leave.

"Marlene?" Kowalski said. Marlene turned back around.

"Yes?"

"How did you say you hurt your back again?"

Marlene blinked, then stammered, "I - uh - I slipped and fell into a table."

Kowalski knew for a fact that she'd earlier said that she had fallen into a wall… that was all the confirmation he needed. Marlene wasn't telling the truth - however, Kowalski knew firsthand how afraid she was to tell him the real reason her back was so bruised, so he didn't push it.

"I see." was all he said, nodding.

Marlene released a little smile and left the HQ. Kowalski had already decided against telling her the news about Savio's death; she had enough on her mind without finding out her stalker was also a murderer.

* * *

The song I used is "Sympathy, Tenderness". (Also in the clip is a song called "Someone Like You", which I'm not using; Marlene doesn't feel quite the same way about Kowalski as Lucy does Jekyll)

http:/ www . youtube. com /watch?v=tdap1l4y-eQ&feature=related

Review!


	7. Thwarted

Hey everyone! Welcome to my last update of the year 2010! What a year it has been...

Oh, just to let you know - there's a brief instance, later on, with some bad language... it is Adrian, after all... hey, if you've made it this far, a little language shouldn't be much of a problem, right? Right?

Enjoy anyway!

* * *

Kowalski, on the night of Savio's death, had made a decision to never let Adrian out of the safe confines of his mind ever again. He'd stuck to it for two weeks now - seeing Marlene the way she was had been cause and motivation enough. He'd done other things with the experiment - watched reaction of the chemicals as he added different substances to them. He'd made little to no progress, but he was determined to stick to his decision.

But now, after two weeks, something different was happening to him. It was like... like he _wanted _the change to occur again. There was an ache in his head and stomach that would never go away... his flippers twitched... his heart leapt when he glimpsed the drugs that would make it happen, only to sink back when his brain told him to use them in a different experiment. Kowalski told himself it was just Adrian itching to get out, to wreak his havoc once more - well, Kowalski wouldn't have it!

So it continued for another day... week... week and a half...

He could stand it no more. The others were starting to notice how odd he was acting - he had to do something, just to get it out of his system! And yet, he would never even consider putting others in danger again...

An idea came to his mind. A brilliant idea!

That very evening, Kowalski strode right up to Rico, holding the high-tech password lock, already put in reset mode.

"Rico?" he said. Rico looked up, and Kowalski held up the lock. "Please do me a favor - just put in some numbers, random and in no particular order, and be sure not to tell me what you put in. Got it?"

Rico looked a bit confused, but said, "Okay," and took the lock. Kowalski turned around and covered his ears so he wouldn't hear the beeping.

"Got-it!" Rico said, tapping Kowalski's shoulder. The screen was back to its dimly-lit green screen, ready to be re-installed and later unlocked.

"Thank you!" Kowalski said gratefully. "Oh, and make sure you remember the password, I'll need you to let me out later." He stood tall and got the others' attention, and announced, "I'm going to be doing some experiments - I don't know for how long, so let me know if I'm needed. Rico knows how to get in."

Without another word, he dashed to the lab. The rest of the inhabitants of the HQ heard the clicks of Kowalski quickly re-installing the lock and putting up the sound barrier, then no more. The word 'confused' was not a suitable word to describe how they felt - especially Rico and Katrina, who worried for his best friend and her lover...

...

It was almost gladly that Kowalski administered the injection - this frightened him a bit - and even the pain was somewhat bearable before he slipped into that black chasm of his own consciousness...

...

Red eyes blinked open once more. Adrian was utterly shocked... he was so certain he'd never come alive again! This was _amazing! _Except... he was in the lab again. Ha, that would soon be remedied... he bounded to the door, but stopped in his tracks when she saw the lock was back in place. Easy enough. Adrian sat down and searched through his mind again, this time more easily finding where Kowalski hid.

Kowalski's voice chuckled quietly in Adrian's ears. _You won't find it._

Adrian flinched. **"What?"**

_The password. I knew you'd be looking for it... you don't have a hope of getting out this time. Even I don't know it._

"**Impossible!" **Adrian snarled, rifling through Kowalski's mind, leaving no stone unturned - no memory untouched.

_Search all you want, you despicable excuse for a penguin, but it simply isn't here! Never again will you ever leave this room!_

"**NO!" **Adrian shouted, leaving Kowalski's mind when he realized the brainiac was telling the truth - there was no way to get out. Adrian was _livid!_

Shouting in anger, he paced a few steps, grinding his beak, then in one swift movement completely upturned one of Kowalski's science tables. Beakers and chemicals went flying and crashing to the ground. Adrian was about to repeat this, before he realized at the just in time that the table he was gripping actually held the drugs necessary for the transformation!

At that moment, Adrian calmed himself a bit. **"Now, I mustn't act so," **he reasoned quietly to himself. **"I am better than that."**

But... oh, _Kowalski! _That pompous, self-righteous _bastard... _Locking him in like this, with no way to even see the moonlight! That freedom was the essence of his very existence! Why bother coming back if he was to be trapped forever?

Adrian wanted revenge. If Kowalski had taken something dear to him... why not take something dear of his?

Adrian stalked to a cupboard near the back of the room and pushed aside all its contents. He knew exactly what was hidden there, he'd seen it while rifling through Kowalski's memories for the password...

"**Aha!" **Adrian exclaimed when he finally found it. Though it would never measure up with what the scientist had stolen from him, it was the best he could do: Kowalski's secret pleasures, his candy stash and the living blob of gelatin, Jiggles. He first set fire to the candy boxes with a Bunsen burner and dumped the flaming boxes into an empty metal trash bin (he didn't want to set the lab on fire, for fear he himself would be burned), then the fun part came. The tiny blob was already quaking with a mixture of fear and confusion - he'd never encountered this penguin... and what was he doing in Master's lab, anyway?

Adrian picked up the small glass cage that held little Jiggles. He shook it violently, making the tiny green cube flop around helplessly. It was nice to see the little guy in such horror, Adrian thought to himself, but it just isn't as satisfying as having a real animal…

Nevertheless, he took Jiggles out of his cage. Suddenly, the blob slipped right out of his flippers and was sliding away as fast as he could. With a sigh, Adrian walked a slow saunter, easily keeping up with Jiggles... even the chase wasn't as... thrilling.

Adrian decided it wasn't worth it. He gave a lazy jump ahead and stomped the glob with his foot. The gelatinous Jiggles easily gave way under the force, and then was no more.

Again, Adrian sighed. Now there was truly nothing to do... he supposed the best thing to do would be to wait it out. He half-heartedly sat down against the wall and relaxed himself. Soon enough, he was asleep.

Almost three hours later, he nearly woke up when he slowly began to change back into Kowalski. His spine straightened, the feathers on his head shrunk back, and underneath heavy eyelids, the eyes changed color - but the body itself remained deep in slumber, and did not awaken until that morning, when someone began pounding on the door.

Kowalski awoke with a start and faintly heard Skipper's voice through the sound barrier.

"_Kowalski! You've been in there all night! I already let you sleep through warm-ups, now get out of there already!"_

"Yes, Skipper!" Kowalski called out. Then it hit him: he was himself again!

Kowalski looked around the room. He'd known Adrian had been furious, but still Kowalski shuddered when he saw the state of his lab - broken beakers littler the ground, the odors of spilled chemicals still lingered in the air... but he'd have to deal with that later. Skipper was too angry to ignore at the moment. He leapt off the floor and strode towards the door-

"Whoa!"

His foot faltered on something slippery and he fell on his stomach. "Ugh..." He groaned as he pushed himself up. He felt... sticky, and looked down. "What in the world...?" he muttered.

He was covered in some sort of green slime. He looked around, trying to figure out what the heck it was... when he noticed a glass box on the ground some seven or so feet away. Jiggles' cage... it was empty...

Horrified, Kowalski slowly looked down at his front and gasped.

"Jiggles!" he cried mournfully. He felt a tear come to his eye, but he quickly blinked it away, stood up, and shakily reached for a dry cloth towel and began cleaning himself found. Yes, it was horrible... but Kowalski forced himself to think it was better to lose his pet than to have a real animal get hurt, or worse, again... this sacrifice was bearable.

Once the green goo was all gone, he knocked on the door and Rico unlocked him with the outdoor keypad. Kowalski left the lab, still saddened by the death of his pet Jell-O but emboldened with the prospects of now being able to safely continue his experiments.

* * *

*Sniff* poor Jiggles...

For the record, this chapter wasn't based off of a song at all - I just figured it was something Kowalski would do. (Also, it's a good prelude for the next chapter...)

Review!


	8. Your Work and Nothing More

Happy New Year everyone!

Not much to say about this chapter - it kind of explains itself along the way.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kowalski was obsessed. This fact became all too clear to Katrina after, yet again, she'd woken up to discover his bed untouched and the laboratory door locked. This was the fourth time in less than two weeks he'd done this! Even worse… she hadn't even been able to speak to him privately (or much at all) for days now - after Rico would unlock the door, he'd rush out of the lab and outside for warm-ups without so much as a 'good morning'.

Kowalski never seemed to understand why she was so upset - when Katrina would confront him during the zoo hours to talk to him about the situation, he was only remind her how ground-breaking and life-changing this discovery would be, he just had to fine-tune it...

Finally, after the sixth night in the lab, Katrina had had it. She would not be treated this way, like loyal dog that was guaranteed to be ready to welcome back its master every time he went away. She didn't even try to speak to him in the morning, didn't look at him during breakfast, and avoided him during the visiting hours. Kowalski noticed this, and, concerned, approached her a bit gingerly.

"Katrina, I know you're upset... there's nothing I can do about that, but I assure you, when the experiment is complete-"

"Rico?" Katrina called out, cutting off Kowalski's excuses. Rico slowly waddled up, a little unsure of what was going on.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Will you please tell _Kowalski _that he can leave me alone until he realizes that there are other things of importance in his life besides his work - me, for example?" she said in a clipped, edgy voice. She then walked off to the other side of the concrete floe without another word.

"Uh..." Rico said awkwardly. He turned to Kowalski. "She says-"

"I heard what she said!" Kowalski spat angrily. He huffed and turned his back on both of them.

Rico worriedly glanced back and forth at the angry couple, then shook his head. He didn't understand what was going on - and he wasn't sure he even wanted to know at this point, anyway.

...

That evening, when he had cooled down, Kowalski decided to take the night off from working on the experiment and try to explain his real motives to Katrina.

She was listening intently to her iPod (gained at the lost-and-found months ago). "Katy?" he asked softly, tapping her shoulder. She looked up and slipped off her headphones.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" she said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Yes." he admitted. "I just wanted to explain-"

"If you saw one word about how much more 'important' the experiment is than anything else - including me - I will walk away." she warned. "I want answers, not vague excuses."

"I understand that," Kowalski assured her. "I'm sorry if that's the way I've been coming across - that the experiment is more important than you, which it isn't - it's just... the experiment is not only important, it is time-consuming and difficult to understand, even by my standards of science… my goal is to finish it before our wedding in two months, that's why I've been working so hard." he took her flippers in his. "Katrina, just imagine it - a brand new beginning for the two of us in bright, clean world - the perfect world to raise a child in, where they will be safe and cared for, with no violence or greed... I can make that - and I will. All I ask for is your patience and support."

She considered it for a minute or so, then slowly responded, "Okay. I believe you - but... don't shut me out again like that, okay? I need you too."

Kowalski beamed and kissed her beak. "Thank you, my love."

Katrina sighed and decided to change the subject to something less heady. "So... what are you doing in there, anyway?"

Kowalski did a double-take. "What?"

"Well, you're in there so much, I'd like to know more about what you're doing."

"Well…" Kowalski stammered. An idea came to his mind - he really hated making her feel dumb, but... "It's quite a process to understand… I start with the configuration of a plethora of different formulas, including hydrogen-denoxide and an ion of magnese-eleven, then inoculate the liquidated formulas into a proficient structure-"

"Kowalski?" Katrina said with a smile. "Dumb it down a bit, please?"

That didn't work as well as he'd thought it would. Now what was he supposed to say?

_I'm injecting the formula into my own body and, after undergoing an intensely painful transformation, change into my own completely evil alter-ego?_

"I'm... basically performing the same experiment over and over to observe all the different ways it reacts to different stimuli, hoping to find the true cause of why it happens." Yes, that was a good answer.

"I see." Katrina said. "But how are you getting all this information in the first place? You can't be doing this alone…"

"I - uh - a colleague. Way back from my college years. He is actually the one who inspired the experiment... we talk back and forth often, over the phone in the lab."

"Oh! So that's who you're talking to all the time!"

"_What?"_

"Sometimes I try to listen in on what's going on in the lab. I can never make out words because of the sound barrier, but I always hear the same voice - I know it's not yours, it's too different. That's your colleague, I take it?"

"Yes," Kowalski's voice cracked a bit. He'd have to be more careful, if Skipper heard someone else in his lab... "Yes, that's who it is."

...

Two nights later...

Adrian was sick of this crap - this staying inside, doing nothing whatsoever for hours and hours... he wanted out, and he wanted it now.

Well... now was definitely the time. He'd been working on his escape for days (well, nights) now, and he was sure it was going to work. After all, sharing Kowalski's body does have a few benefits...

He quietly took down the sound barrier from the door and opened a peep hole in the door. All the team was sound asleep, as was Kowalski's fiancée. Yes, he knew about her... he'd seen her in Kowalski's memories, but Adrian didn't care for her much... too nosy, and not much of a beauty at all in Adrian's opinion, no matter how much the scientist thought otherwise. But, that wasn't the point right now - what was important was who he saw sleeping of the second bunk from the bottom - Rico.

Adrian thumped his chest and cleared his throat.

"R**i**c**o**?**" **he whispered in a perfect imitation of Kowalski's voice. **"**R**i**c**o**!**"**

Rico rolled around, barely awakened. "Huh?"

"**Could **you **let **me **out? **I **finished **the **experiment **early."

Grumbling a bit and still half asleep, Rico arose and punched the numbers. Adrian listened close to the beeping sounds, matching the different tones with the numbers on the keypad in his mind. _**9-3-0-2-9-8-7! **_he realized joyfully. Perfect!

The lock clicked open

"Thank** you." **Adrian said in Kowalski's voice. Rico fell back asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Adrian smiled. The plan couldn't have gone more perfectly - Rico, as he had just barely been awake, would not remember this incident in the morning at all.

With a gleeful sneer, Adrian quietly left the HQ. The only thing running through his mind was all the different ways he could cause all hell to break loose in two hours.

* * *

GrandOldPenguin - you were right. In the words of Robert Frost, "Nothing gold can stay."

No clip for this chapter - it was vaguely based on the song "Your Work and Nothing More" (can be found on Youtube), but I didn't take any lyrics or true inspiration from it.

I know this chapter was a little boring (until the end), but it's important to remember Katrina, she's quite easily forgotten (Emma is one of the most overlooked characters in the whole play, in my opinion: she suffers just as much as the rest of the cast but no one remembers her because of how awesome Lucy - Marlene's character - is.) and we have to know just how she deals with the situation, too.

Stay tuned - the next chapter is one of the most exciting in the whole story, I assure you.

Review!


	9. Murder! Murder!

Hey everyone! Hee hee hee... I've been anticipating this chapter for weeks now. I was getting chills while writing it... I hope it has the same effect when read. Oh, and PLEASE let me know if anyone feels I should raise the rating at all - I tried to be the least descriptive I could while still giving the idea of what happened... however, if you look at the title of this chapter... yeah.

Enjoy (if you dare!) !

* * *

The next morning, the penguins awoke to the sound of someone frantically pounding on the fishbowl.

"Who could that be?" Skipper grumbled as everyone woke up.

"_Penguins! Help! Please!" _a familiar voice shouted.

Skipper sighed. "Ringtail - of course. Well - up top, men!"

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private sluggishly climbed the ladder. Skipper couldn't believe his eyes - Julien was seriously shaking, eyes red with tears. He was hugging his tail like a child, and Skipper saw a few drops of blood staining his otherwise pristine feet.

"What's wrong, Ringtail?" Skipper asked calmly.

"M-M-Maurice," Julien stuttered, "he-he-he's dead!"

The penguins gasped simultaneously. "Move out, men!" Skipper ordered.

They belly-slid as fast as they could to the lemur habitat. Private could see Mort hiding under the throne, shaking and terrified.

"Where's the stiff, Ringtail?"

"B-behind the smoothie bar."

The team slowly peeked behind the bar. Private had to look away - he'd never seen so much blood coming out of one body!

Kowalski, shaking a bit himself, quickly accessed his report. "Judging by the site of the wound and the size of the indentation, I'd say Maurice was killed by... by..."

As he slowly finished his sentence, a strange scene replayed in his head: a memory.

...

_Free! So free! Adrian stalked the zoo walkways, trying to decide what to do next... what he'd done first, Kowalski couldn't remember... Adrian heard voices and hid in the shadows of a bench._

"_Maurice!" said Julien. "My tasty buds are in need of something refreshing!"_

"_But it's almost one in the morning, your majesty. That dance party really wiped me out." Maurice said._

"_No! Go and make me a smoothie!"_

_Maurice huffed and started getting some bananas and strawberries ready for the smoothie, muttering to himself: "Jeez... it sure ain't in my job description to make stupid smoothies in the middle of the night!"_

_While this was going on, Adrian slipped into the habitat and hid behind the smoothie bar. When Maurice walked behind the bar, Adrian stepped out of his hiding place. Maurice gasped, and Adrian covered Maurice's mouth to prevent a scream. He slowly gripped the heavy glass jar of the blender._

"_**Maurice… I am happy to inform you that you are relieved of your duties, sir…"**_

_He swung the glass up and forcefully brought it down on Maurice's head._

**"**... _**all of them!"**_

...

As Rico and Skipper took care of the body, Kowalski could only stand there, astonished. He had _no _idea, none whatsoever, as to how Adrian had gotten out! It just wasn't possible! He racked his brain... he even tried his best to contact Adrian, the same way Adrian had contacted him through the mind - but to no avail. Kowalski eventually figured out that, while Adrian needed the drugs to live, it was still Kowalski's body and he would always be a part of it...

There was nothing he could do... nothing at all, but hope this incident was a fluke and wouldn't happen again. He continued the experiment.

...

Adrian, two nights later, knew that he was already attracting too much attention from inside the zoo walls... if he wanted a thrill, this time he'd have to get it outside the zoo walls... in the city.

Using the sewer system to get around (courtesy of Marlene's house), he soon found a less busy street to find a victim in. He looked all around… and saw a nest at the top of a small building, built in the gutter, where a bird was nesting - a falcon. He could hardly believe his eyes - he recognized that falcon... or, at least, Kowalski would recognize her orange and red plumage, her graceful tail and sharp beak.

He climbed a drainage pipe up the brick wall, and onto the roof. She was sleeping - Adrian woke her up by gently tapping her shoulder.

Her eyes fluttered open - until she saw Adrian's eyes. So cold, and yet so excited... she screamed and took off from her nest in a panic, quickly high up in the New York sky. Adrian held onto her neck as she flew through the air.

"Get off!" she shrieked, all but petrified with terror at this horrible creature that wouldn't let go of her. Adrian only held on tighter, and even when he was safely on her back, did not let go.

"**Kitka, my love - you really should be more careful where you lay your nest in this part of town - you never know whom you might encounter!"**

He squeezed and squeezed her neck, cutting off her air-way, until her wings suddenly stopped flapping and she fell through the air - literally a dead-weight. Adrian launched himself onto a roof and let her body crash to the ground. He took a deep, exhilarating breath, grinning like a vampire locked in a blood bank.

_**What a rush! **_

...

It had been almost two weeks since Maurice's death, and still Julien was extremely shaken. He couldn't get over that first horrible glimpse of Maurice's body, blood sprayed on the ground... couldn't forget the last words he'd ever said to him... and after all, it wasn't every day your right-hand lemur was found murdered on the floor. Maurice had been the closest thing Julien had ever had to a real friend…

So, every night since the incident, Julien went to a quiet place and prayed to the sky spirits for protection and support. He'd been a firm believer in them for his entire life, and knew that if there was anyone that wouldn't abandon him in his worst hour, it was the spirits.

Tonight was no different. After Mort had curled up on the royal bouncy (Julien had actually taken… well, not a liking, exactly, but at least a tolerance for the little guy, mainly since Mort was the last thing Julien had to remember of his homeland and of Maurice), Julien found his spot on the faux rock structure - where it was nice and sheltered with the fake boulders looming overhead, but one could still see the New York star, a.k.a. the Gimme-Gimme Star - when it was out, of course.

Julien got down on his knees - an otherwise rare thing for him - and raised his hands to the sky.

"Oh, sky spirits! Listen, and hear my prayer! Protect me - and Mort, too, I guess - in all our days. And nights. And... forever! I mean, it wasn't really my fault Maurice died, was it? There wasn't anything I could do... maybe if I hadn't made him make me a smoothie..." _why did I have to point that out? _he thought to himself. "Anyway. oh yeah, say hi to him from me."

Feeling minimally better, Julien nervously rose up and turned around.

"GAH!"

A pair of dull, crimson eyes were staring at him from the shadows. A hunched figure slowly emerged from the shadows and advanced upon Julien's retreating form, catching him by the shoulders and spinning him around. He made Julien look into his eyes.

"**Bad news from the sky spirits, Julien."**

The mysterious creature kneed him in the gut, making him fall back on his knees. Just as easily as one twists open a mildly stubborn jar, he wrung Julien's neck until he heard a distinct SNAP!

The lemur king was dead as soon as he hit the ground. Delighted, the murderer let out a joyful laugh as he kicked Julien off the plastic-rock ledge and let him fall on the ground.

...

Never before had there been such a phenomenon of emotions; pure, unadulterated joy as Adrian Black, the murderer of the night...

Pure terror and confusion as Andrew Kowalski, the genius of the day.

* * *

Yikes... by the way, all the characters I kill off, they're the ones I kind of have a problem with. Savio? He ate them, for crying out loud! Maurice? Well... the line fit well, okay? (I do like him - sad) Kitka? She pretty much KILLED Skilene - even if it was for one episode - and her voice just bugs me. And don't even get me started on Julien!

As for the clip... yes. I had to succumb to the all-consuming powers of David Hasselhoff. It's not my fault that this was the only decent clip I could find - he doesn't sing at all, so it's pretty okay. He does a decent job as Hyde, I guess - just ignore Jekyll.

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=VRk9ZiQamos


	10. Once Upon a Dream

Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long to get up, but you'll see why at the end - there's a special surprise.

Enjoy!

* * *

Katrina was scared. The murders were becoming more numerous, more terrifying by the day - just this morning, they'd received news of what had become of Skipper's ex-girlfriend Kitka; of course Savio, then Maurice, and Julien...

And then there was Kowalski. Despite his earlier promise, he'd become more distant than ever. No one was more terrified of the recent happenings than Kowalski, though no one really knew why... she tried to console him, but he would merely turn away, or walk off to his lab. It baffled her, how cold he had suddenly become.

One day, when Skipper had his team go on t a recon mission about the murders, Katrina found herself wandering into his lab after she saw the door slightly ajar. She could smell the scent of unknown chemicals wafting through the air as they bubbled over a Bunsen burner - saw some note from experiments scribbled on his famous clipboard - and sat in the large armchair he'd dragged in some weeks ago. She could smell his peculiar smell - a mixture of fresh fish, chemicals, and something she didn't recognize but liked anyway - and snuggled herself into the upholstery. This was the closest she'd felt to her fiancé in days... she lingered in that chair, pretending to herself that he was there with her and none of the horrible happenings had… well, happened. Then, she saw the recorder he used as a journal for his experimenting sitting by his testing area. She slowly rose up from the chair and kneeled next to the tape recorder, rewinding it to the latest entry.

*"October 6th, twenty-two hours and forty-five minutes." Kowalski's rich - if tired - voice said through the recorder. "We are here-" _we? _" alone... terrible… more terrible than any beast stalking its prey..."*

"Katrina!" the same voice said from behind her. She jumped and spun around. Kowalski roughly pushed her out of the way and pressed the 'stop' button. "How did you get in here?"

"The door was open!" she snapped back. "I just needed _something-"_

"-and you thought you'd get it by poking around in my journal?"

"Kowalski! Is either of us really so changed we cannot have a normal conversation?"*

Kowalski said nothing. He sank down in the armchair, burying his head in his flippers. Katrina felt a surge of guilt course through her body.

"Kowalski… I don't know what the heck you're really doing in here, but I know it can't be easy on you… on us…" she sat down on the arm of the chair and put a flipper around Kowalski's shoulders.

"It's gone far beyond anything I could ever imagine, Katrina. But still, the answer is somewhere around here, I can feel it...!" Kowalski said in a frustrated voice. "It's like… it's like an _addiction, _I can't even explain it to myself, much less to anyone else-"

"I understand." Katrina said quietly. * "When this all began, we knew there'd be a price..."*

Kowalski sighed.

She continued. "I've been doing some work, myself... a new song. There hasn't been anything else to do, with you gone all the time and Skipper not letting me outside so I don't get hurt...

"_Once upon a dream_

_We were lost in love's embrace_

_There we found the perfect place_

_Once upon a dream_

_Once there was a time_

_Like no other time before_

_Hope was still an open door_

_Once upon a dream..."_

Kowalski felt a pain in his stomach. Afraid of what that could mean, he shook off Katrina's embrace and walked a few feet away. Katrina had no idea why he did this - she continued her song with a thick, trembling voice, trying not to cry.

"_And I was unafraid_

_The dream was so exciting_

_But now I see it fade_

_And I am here alone..."_

She slowly moved a little closer.

"_Once upon a dream_

_You were heaven-sent to me_

_Was it never meant to be?_

_Was it just a dream?"_

She held out her flipper to him, asking him:

"_Could we begin again...?"_

Kowalski reached, but he couldn't bring himself to stretch far enough. It hurt too much to stretch his muscles at all.

Katrina's voice broke.

"_Once upon... a dream..."_

Embarrassed and hurt, Katrina tried to run out of the room - Kowalski, realizing what he'd just done, ignored the shooting pain in his abdomen and grabbed her flipper.

"Katrina, don't go! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything - I'm sorry for being gone so much, for leaving you alone all the time, for not being able to explain, for the song-"

"What was wrong with my song?"

"That you even had to write it in the first place."

The pain started to go away, Kowalski realized with relief. He pulled Katrina into his arms and hugged her close, tucking her head under his beak.

"Please don't leave me now," he begged in a whisper, "I need you now more than ever!"

Katrina stood still for a minute, then pulled away a little and looked into his eyes. Taking both of them by surprise, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him with all her might. Kowalski held her tighter still, bending down some and deepening the kiss. He'd almost forgotten how sweet it felt having her in his arms, how silky her feathers were, how her breath always seemed to taste like ayu, a type of fish with a peculiar sweet taste...

However, as quickly as the kiss had begun, it was just as quickly ended. Katrina pulled away, her eyes downcast, and stroked his chest.

"I won't leave you, Kowalski." she finally stated. "I never could, I love you too much."

Kowalski smiled - the first time in weeks he'd smiled (as himself, at least). "Thank you-"

"But I will _not_ marry you until you treat me as your wife. That means not forgetting I exist, and no secrets."

"I understand." Kowalski said, a bit ashamed.

Katrina sighed. "Good. And... speaking of secrets... lately, I just can't help but notice something I'd like to clear up."

"What?"

"The murders always happen on the nights you go into your lab to 'experiment'."

Kowalski froze.

"What are you really doing in there, Kowalski?"

Kowalski looked away. He couldn't tell her the truth! The shock could very well _kill _her! But he couldn't bear lying to her again…

"Please don't jump to conclusions, it's not what you think." he said "The truth is... remember I told you I was working with a colleague?"

"Yes...?"

"His name… his name is Adrian Black. He's the murderer."

"_What?_ Kowalski-!_"_

"I'm trying my best to stop him, but short of sacrificing myself, there is no way - he is completely uncontrollable... he's insane, Katrina! Just telling you this puts you in grave danger, _please _don't make me explain any more-"

"I won't." she assured him. "Oh, Kowalski..." she stroked his face.

They heard Skipper's voice echoing through the HQ. _"Supper's here!"_

"You go ahead, Katrina. I'll be along soon."

She nodded and after another quick kiss, left the lab. Kowalski quietly walked back to he recorder and pressed down the red-circle button to record.

*"October seventh - the beast has taken a heavy toll, not only on myself - who can still be saved - but others… who cannot. The transformations are starting to occur _of their own accord..."*_

* * *

The parts with aterisks are, as usual, not my own creation but taken directly from the show. I paraphrased most of Kowalski and Katrina's conversation so that I didn't have to keep putting up the little stars.

That last paragraph - dun dun DUN! Also, I think it's worth mentioning I always get a little smile out of that line, because October seventh is my birthday... ;)

And the special surprise... I've used Katrina in a few stories now, haven't I? And I always like to mention she's a singer... well, I wanted to give her a real voice, finally, so...

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=7fEAHHHDQBU

and yes, that's me singing. :D

REVIEW! OR I WILL KILL YOU! (even worse - I'll get Adrian to do it...!)


	11. It's a Dangerous Game

Hello everyone! First off, I'd like to thank everyone for the kind comments about my video - in truth, it's my teachers you need to compliment (I've taken lessons for about three years now)!

Enjoy reading!

* * *

A couple of days later, Kowalski came out of his lab looked a bit more optimistic than usual. He'd finally found a way to possibly stop all this madness - a hypothesized combination of drugs that could end the transformations, even the ones that happened on their own…

Thank God, he hadn't had a real problem with that yet - the self-initiated transformations seemed to be timed to occur every other evening, just as how he'd been taking the drugs anyway. He grimly remembered how frightened he'd been the first time he'd felt the pain and slipping sensations begin before he'd taken the drugs. That had been two weeks ago… as it was right now, it simply meant he couldn't take evenings off his work anymore, but he really didn't want it to escalate to something worse.

He'd ordered these drugs to be brought to the HQ sometime soon (from where…? Classified.) , but he wasn't sure when they would arrive. Also, in order for these drugs to work at all, he needed to make some other preparations, and that would take a while to complete. He needed these drugs as soon as they arrived…

"Rico?" he said quietly, that day during the zoo visiting hours. Rico gingerly waddled up - he really didn't want to get stuck in the middle of something again.

"Rico, could you do me a favor?" Kowalski asked.

"Wha?"

"I'm waiting for a package to be delivered sometime soon. If I'm working in my lab while they come, could you just drop them inside the door? You're the only one that knows how to get in."

"Oh. Yeah!" Rico said enthusiastically. That was easy enough.

Kowalski smiled. "Thank you."

…

The following evening…

Marlene anxiously picked up some papers off her floor and put them in a drawer. She took a wet rag and wiped it on any and every surface that could have possibly collected dust. When there was nothing left to clean, she slowly made her bed, being sure to tuck in the covers further under the mattress than necessary.

She knew all too well what would be happening tonight - Adrian was coming, just as he did every other night - that is, just before he went and killed someone. Yes, she knew it was he who did it - she wasn't stupid. All of the murders had taken place on the nights he'd come to her, it was only too obvious what was going on. Marlene's hands were clammy, her stomach flip-flopping - she'd never been so scared in her life as when Adrian was due to come…

She heard a knock at the mouth of her home and jumped about a foot in the air. _Oh no…_

"**Marlene, dearest…"**

"I'm coming!" she yelled back nervously. She ran up to the opening of her home to meet Adrian. She shivered a little upon seeing him - it was remarkable that, no matter how many times you saw them or how up-close you'd seen them, his eyes always managed to strike fear into her heart.

"**Good evening, my love." **Adrian said in his customary polite tone. He slid his flipper around her waist and kissed her mouth, then whispered into her ear, **"I trust you are well?"**

"Yeah, I'm fine." she said quietly.

"**Good, good." **he walked inside, his arm still around Marlene's body. Marlene tried to slowly twist away as they walked, but he only held on tighter and readjusted his grip.

Marlene tried to make conversation, to stall what she knew was coming. "So… I did some cleaning today. I know you said it was… um, a little dirty last time-"

"**Good girl." **Adrian said in a mock-praising voice. He pulled a little on her shoulder, stopping her. He began to slowly circle her like a vulture, and chuckled quietly as he murmured, **"Such a good girl… yes…"**

*Marlene felt his flippers… cold on her shoulder… his chilling touch as it ran down her spine…* from behind, he reached up and stroked her jaw line. Marlene shivered at how cold his flippers truly were, and turned her head away. Adrian took this chance to nuzzle his beak into her exposed neck - Marlene gasped, and groaned in disgust and fear.

You'd think she'd be used to it by now, it had been two weeks straight - that's what frightened her, how he would never let up or relent. Each night had to be filled with terror, just because he was there and could do it. It was always this way - this terrible torture, this horrible encounter. Marlene hated every minute of it, but knew she had no power to stop it - he had actually fractured her jawbone the last time she'd tried to defend herself.

As usual, there was nothing she could do to stop it…

Just as she'd hoped, tucking in the bed-covers extra tight had hindered him a bit as she was pulled underneath…

And so their dangerous game began - yet again.

…

When it was over at last, Marlene lay still and silent, a single tear falling down her fur, as Adrian propped himself up next to her and softly touched her collarbone.

"**I'm going to be gone for a while, Marlene." **he said regretfully. **"I have some unfinished business with a friend that I must sort out."**

Marlene's heart practically danced with joy inside her, though she tried her best not to show it. Even one extra night without Adrian around was a dream come true…

***"Why… are you **_**glad **_**see me leave?"***

Marlene flinched. *"No, of course not - _oh!"*_

She gasped as Adrian grabbed a hold of her throat and squeezed - not hard enough that she could choke, but definitely enough that it hurt.

***"I can always tell when you are lying, Marlene."* **he said, cold venom permeating his voice. ***"I'll know where you are, every moment I'm gone… and God help you if you are not right here, waiting for me when I return."***

* * *

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=Kae3EPVpXJA

:(

Review!


	12. The Way Back

Hello! Actually, I do have something to say here. This is officially my longest story yet. As we inch closer and closer to the end (and I have already written the end - it will end up being 16 chapters long), I realize that my longest story besides this one had 15 actually chapters and an author's note... I'm really proud of this story. It may be my best yet :)

Also - one thing I'd like to mention: from here on out, Rico will be doubling as the character of John Utterson, Dr. Jekyll's best friend and confidant.

Enjoy!

* * *

Adrian felt... tired. As if, for some odd reason, he just didn't feel like going out... even terrorizing Marlene ahead of schedule sounded like too much strain...

That armchair looked very comfortable...

What Adrian finally did was sneak into the HQ and steal Kowalski's blanket. He then sprawled himself out on the chair lazily, the blanket covering him almost completely. He soon dozed off.

...

The rest of the penguins awoke with a start to the sound of someone knocking on the fishbowl. Thinking it was another murder, Skipper, Rico, and Private leapt out of bed and practically flew up the ladder.

A carrier pigeon was standing outside, whistling to himself, and was almost knocked over by Skipper's sudden appearance.

"Hey!" he cried. "Careful! This stuff's fragile!"

Skipper sighed with relief, glad no one was hurt. He then straightened up and said, "Who in the good name of Uncle Sam are you?"

"I'm just here to deliver a package for an Andrew P. Kowalski." the pigeon replied.

"I see."

"But Skippah, Kowalski's in the lab tonight!" Private said.

Rico smiled. He had this covered. "I'll tay eh!" (I'll take it!)

...

Rico, with the package in flipper, punched in the code to the lock and opened the door. His plan was just to drop off the box and leave - but he couldn't bring himself to do the latter. Something just wasn't right in here - it was too quiet. No chemicals bubbling, no powders being weighed or any other science-y stuff - there was someone in Kowalski's chair...

Wait! Who the heck was that?

Rico stepped a bit closer.

"You!" he said loudly. The figure stirred in the chair, waking up. He looked out over the blanket (Rico flinched at the sight of his face).

"**Is there something I can help you with?" **he said sarcastically.

"Stuff for 'walski." Rico said slowly. "Who're you?"

"**A friend." **The penguin said in a clipped voice. **"Now, I was in the middle of a most glorious sleep, so if you could ****kindly**** leave the drugs and go."**

Rico blinked. How did he know the package had Kowalski's drugs?

"No. Give tuh 'walski." Rico said.

The penguin chuckled. **"Then I assure you, they will be safe with me. Kowalski is unavailable at the moment."**

"Where?" Rico demanded.

"**You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."**

"Tell me!"

The penguin sighed and lazily flung off the blanket. He stood up - Rico's back ached just looking at how curved his spine was - and then he strode to Kowalski's table. He opened a small box near the edge, tearing off the plastic wrapping and ripping apart the cardboard. He pulled out a syringe filled with a blue solution. Rico became uneasy - what the heck was he doing? The penguin seemed to sense his apprehension and smiled sadistically at him.

***What's the matter, Rico?" **he said mockingly. He waved the syringe in Rico's face - Rico stepped back. **"Afraid of a little science?"***

Rico could only watch in confusion and, yes, fear as the penguin laughed at him - and plunged the needle into his own leg and pressed down. He kept on laughing, even as he gasped and cried out, clearly in pain.

Rico saw the solution quickly take effect - the penguin's spiked feathers shrunk back into his head... he fell to the floor and writhed in pain, laughing all the while... his spine seemed to straighten out, and the muscles became less defined.

The laughing stopped, and was replaced by real gasps of pain.

Silence. The penguin sat up and rubbed his head.

Rico let out a gasp of his own - there, right in front of him, was Kowalski himself!

Kowalski heard Rico and spun around. Rico was hardly comforted by the presence of his friend's familiar blue eyes.

"Rico!" Kowalski said, shocked. "When did you - did you see me-"

"What's goin' on?' Rico whispered, astonished. "How... why?"

"It was just part of the experiment at first." Kowalski tried to explain quietly. "Then, I think I grew an addiction... now, I have no control over when he comes and goes…" his eyes grew wide as Adrian's memories filled his mind once more. *"I warned you... even as Black, I warned you..."*

"Black?" Rico recognized the name and his head snapped up.

"Yes. It's him - he's the one behind the murders. I tried my best to stop him!" Kowalski rushed to explain when he saw Rico's horrified expression. "I did everything I could, but now I know there's no stopping him. At least... there wasn't until you brought this package." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face as he picked up the box Rico had originally brought in. "This package contains what I think may be the only hope of stopping my transformations..." the smile disappeared. "But if it doesn't... I will find a way, I must, but if this isn't it..." he looked up. "Rico, I need you to promise me two things."

"What?" Rico said apprehensively. Now what did Kowalski expect him to do for him?

"One - that, no matter what you have to do… if an opportunity to vanquish Black comes along, you will do it. Promise me."

"Will" He was going to do that anyway.

Kowalski barely smiled again. "And the other thing is..." he practically ran to his recorder and popped it open, removing a tape - it looked brand new, barely used at all except for a little bit of the tape inside. Kowalski brought it to Rico. "...this. You must give this to Marlene right now. She has a tape player... it's critical she hears it before the morning comes, but I have work to do now that these chemicals are here."

"...okay." Rico nodded, taking the tape. He hadn't seen Marlene for weeks, she never came out of her habitat and told others not to visit her... Rico paused, then said "Please tell Skip?"

"No!" Kowalski said - almost begged. "Please don't tell Skipper! He won't understand that I need to keep working to stop what is happening - he would lock me out of the lab forever, then we would all be lost. He can't know what is going on.""Okay." Rico said, disappointed.

"Now, please, go give the tape to Marlene - as fast as you can, there's not much time!" Kowalski said urgently. Rico nodded again and ran out, silently berating himself for how complacent he was becoming.

Kowalski ripped open the box - this all would end tonight, one way or another!

He pulled out the chemicals and powders, and quickly measured them out. Once the measurements were complete, he mixed them all together, creating a small explosion in his beaker.

Just to be sure his hypothesis was correct, he filled another beaker with water, and carefully poured a miniscule portion of the new formula into the water. After a few seconds, the beaker turned red. Kowalski frowned... that was not a good sign, the color red always signified Adrian... then, a few minutes later, it turned blue. Kowalski sighed in relief - blue meant himself. Then, all the sudden, it started switching back and forth - blue to red, red to blue… and finally settled on clear.

Kowalski silently gasped. So that's what would be happening to him... the clear confused him a bit... he figured that whichever mindset was on while the drug wore off would end up dominating completely.

_What if Adrian won?_

Kowalski shook his head. There was no time - he'd couldn't consider that now!

As he prepped himself for the injection (unlike Adrian, he did care about the state of his body… especially if he was to keep up the mindset that he would win), he encouraged himself.

* "Somehow I have to get back to the place where my journey started; find the course I charted when I first departed..."*

He filled a new syringe with the formula.

* "Somehow I have to hang on to the vision that first inspired me - to the hope that fired me when the world admired me..."*

He stuck the needle into his freshly - if quickly - sanitized leg and pressed down.

* "Somehow I have to rebuild all the dreams that the winds have scattered - from what fate has shattered, I'll retrieve what mattered!"*

It was done. Now there was nothing left to do but wait...

Except... he'd never, ever done this before, but he figured anything that might help was worth a shot...

Kowalski fell to his knees, raised his flippers in the air, bowing his head.

* "God... you must help me carry on... when it seems all hope has gone, I have got to carry on..."*

Then he fainted, falling right on his chest, onto the floor.

* * *

http:/ www. youtube . com/watch?v=LtkcD9sWJAg (Robert Cuccioli)

I really like that ending... it was in the song, and it really touched my heart when I saw Jekyll falling to his knees, falling upon his last chance... I really can see Kowalski doing that, too.

Review (that means YOU!)


	13. A New Life

Ah... Saturday. A day for relaxation, for updating... for _show choir practice? _:(

Well, here's the next chapter. Now GrandOldPenguin will have his mystery solved... ;)

* * *

Marlene was sleeping quite soundly - the nightmares didn't bother her as much anymore... but at that moment, she wasn't having a nightmare. Huh - very unusual nowadays. It wasn't a marvelous dream either - her old self would have thought it was very normal, but now it was really a wonderful dream to have.

She dreamed she was dancing. She wasn't dancing in any sort of special place - just the top of her habitat, the area were her slide began. There was no music in the background, and no one around: no people in the walkways, no animals in the surrounding habitats - it was just her and her dance.

Suddenly she stopped when she heard someone calling her name.

"_Marlene! Marlene!"_

Her mind immediately switched to worst-possible-situation mode: _Adrian! _What was he doing here, he said he wouldn't be coming for a while - it was so like him to lie to her, then fulfill her worst nightmare yet again. She tried to run, but her feet wouldn't move… sure, they'd been dancing for no reason at all earlier, but now when she needed to move -!

Someone was gently shaking her. She calmed down a bit and allowed herself to slowly wake up. She figured if it was really Adrian there, he would have used a much rougher means of waking her.

Marlene's hazel eyes opened - her guess had been somewhat close: she had indeed been awoken by a crazy penguin.

"Rico? What are you doing here?" she said groggily. "It's like, the middle of the night!" She glanced at her clock - eleven-thirty. "Well, close... what's up?"

"From 'walski." he said, holding up the tape.

"Kowalski?" she muttered. She took the tape - no markings whatsoever. She paused a second, thinking it over, then asked, "Why didn't he bring it over himself?"

"Busy." Rico replied apologetically.

"Oh. Well... let's see what it is, then."

She pulled out her tape player - she hadn't touched it in weeks - and opened it up. She carefully put in the tape, rewound it until she heard a 'click', then pressed 'play'. There were a few seconds of static, then Kowalski's voice came through, loud and clear:

"Hello, Marlene. You have no idea how much I want to tell you this in person... but since you're listening to this, that means that for some reason, I had absolutely no way to get to you in time.

"Don't ask how - but I know how Adrian has been hurting you. I know how he forbids you to tell anyone how scared you really are, and how hopeless you feel. But realize that there _is _hope, Marlene. You are the one who always showed us the power of a good outlook - and that of a good friend. Which is why I have arranged for your escape out of here."

Marlene's jaw dropped - what was he saying?

"Tomorrow morning, Alice will come to your home and bring you to be shipped to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It's a very fine place, and where I grew up. The point is, you don't have to worry anymore. You don't have to be scared, and you definitely don't have to wait until he comes back to only hurt you again. I also know that you're leaving so much behind... but you're gaining so much. You will never see Adrian Black again. Now, go and pack what you need, and leave this place with the knowledge that a new life is not far out of reach - I'll miss you so much, Marlene. No one at the Central Park Zoo will ever forget you. In fact... if there is ever a way to be rid of Adrian forever, I will see to it that you can return here if you so wish it. Goodbye, Marlene - and good luck."

The tape clicked and was silent.

As was Marlene - she was totally speechless. She was... leaving? Possibly forever?

Immediately, she thought of all the friends she'd made... this was where the penguins were, where Julien's body was laid... but then she remembered Adrian. She knew that unless something drastic happened, he would never, ever leave her alone. This was her chance to escape from all that... and she knew she would take it.

"I can't believe it..." she whispered. "Oh my god... there's so much to do... I have to pack!"

Marlene ran across the room and slid open a door under her bed and pulled out a few bags. Actually laughing out loud to herself, she took her tape player (tape still inside) and shoved it inside a bag. She started to roll up her rug on the floor, then stopped herself and looked back. She stood and ran back to Rico and engulfed him in a hug.

"I'm going to miss you guys so much!" she said thickly. Rico blinked, then finally hugged her back tightly. He almost couldn't believe this would be the last time he'd ever see her...

"Miss, too." Rico said in a tight voice.

"If I don't see you again before... before I go, say goodbye to the guys for me." Marlene said, pulling away. "And a big thank-you to Kowalski." She paused. "I don't expect you to pass this on, but this is for him." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. Rico smiled a bit.

"Uh-huh." he said, nodding absentmindedly.

With one last hug, Rico left. Marlene watched him go - watched him look over his shoulder one last time before he jumped the fence to go back to the HQ.

Marlene took a deep breath and exhaled in a little giggle. She was in shock - it almost seem unreal, too good to be true, that she was finally able to escape out of Adrian's hurtful grasp. She was _free._

As Marlene packed up her most precious belongings - a few pictures of the friends she'd made, the tape player, a CD of Spanish guitar - she visualized to herself all that she could do in the new zoo - if Kowalski had grown up there, it couldn't be a bad place to live at all...

Soon, she was finished packing. The clock now read about half past midnight. She curled up into bed and, for the first time in weeks, immediately fell into a peaceful sleep.

At least, for the time she was sleeping, she slept peacefully. It wasn't very long - about fifteen minutes, actually.

She jerked awake when someone shook her roughly. She shot up like a bullet, and nearly screamed when she saw who was there.

"_Adrian! _What are you doing-" she gasped.

"**You weren't expecting me, were you?" **he replied smoothly.

"No, not really."

He eyed the unusually bare state of her room. **"You haven't had another visitor, have you?"**

"Oh - just a friend, a bit earlier."

"**A friend, you say? *It wasn't the good scientist himself, was it? Oh, of course not… Kowalski's such a busy penguin,* he wouldn't bother with someone like you…"**

Marlene did a classic double-take. "You... know Kowalski?"

"**Know him?" **Adrian chuckled. **"We're close, Marlene, very close… and… what's this?"**

He picked up one of her bags and emptied it of its contents, onto the floor. Marlene flinched when her framed photograph of the lemurs shattered to pieces on the concrete ground.

"**You weren't going to leave without telling me, were you?" **Adrian asked, danger permeating every syllable.

Marlene's heart sank to the very lowest pits of her stomach. "No... of course not."

"**That's right. You're not going anywhere." **Adrian said. He walked up and sat beside her on the bed - Marlene didn't move a muscle. Adrian held out a flipper and she robotically tucked her head into his chest. With one arm, Adrian hugged her close to his body... with the other, rummaged around under her bed, trying to find something.

"**Yes… you do love me, don't you Marlene?"**

"Of course I do." her voice was totally expressionless.

"**And you would never dream of leaving me?"**

"No, I wouldn't."

Adrian's flipper touched something cold and hard... he pulled it out. The knife... the same one she'd once tried to threaten him with, the second time he'd visited her...

"**How ironic." **Adrian said, lifting the knife high into the air behind her back. **"You've finally learned your lesson… and now, your knowledge will never be of any use…"**

He brought the knife down and plunged it into her lower back. Marlene shouted out, and Adrian let her go as she fell to the floor. She clutched at her now scarlet-stained back, gasping for air. Adrian let her flounder around on the floor for a few seconds, then grabbed her by the fur on her head and pulled her up. With one quick, easy swipe to the neck, Marlene was gone.

Adrian stood up as she lay lifeless on the floor. Lifeless, useless... worthless...

And then...

It happened very suddenly - without even the slightest sliver of pain, it was more a sweeping sensation than anything else... Adrian staggered back and with a gasp, disappeared as Kowalski's mind took over - the feathers shot backward, the spine snapped straight, eyes changed color faster than the swoop of a knife...

Then they (the eyes) yanked open. It took Kowalski a few seconds to figure out where he was - Marlene's home. He felt something heavy and cold in his flipper and looked down to see what it was… a knife, coated in blood.

_No..._

He looked down at the floor...

_Not her... oh, please, not her..._

Marlene lay face down on the floor. A puddle of blood was collecting directly underneath her... she was so still...

Unable to do anything else, Kowalski stumbled a few steps away and dropped the knife, making a loud clanking sound on the concrete floor.

"I'm sorry..."

And he ran out of the room.

* * *

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=P7ZaP0mkOMY (A New Life)

http:/ www. you tube .com/watch?v=0wHEXumf534 (Lucy's death - just to let you know, this isn't Cuccioli or Evan, I have no idea who this is - it's just a really different version of the scene that I really liked - usually, after Hyde kills her he just spits on the body and exits the stage - I really liked the idea of Jekyll seeing her first...)

...

I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON!

Review for me anyway!


	14. Confrontation

Hey! I thought I'd get the next chapter up early, considering the events take place immediately after the last chapter. Also, I'll give you the clip right away, as the reading could get a little confusing if you don't know what's going on - I took so long to write this, it was so hard to describe. I ended up just decided to provide the clip here and just write out the dialougue... lazy me!

http:/ www. youtube. Com /watch?v=O-QqYJxlzE8

Enjoy reading!

* * *

Kowalski didn't stop running until he was out of the zoo and well into Central Park. He had to get away... after a while, it was a struggle to keep moving as his spine seemed to curve in on itself. Kowalski stopped and fought as hard as he could, trying to remain as himself even as he felt the feathers on his head grow to their abnormal length until they covered his face... or, at least, the right side of his face. He slapped his flippers to his head and squeezed as hard as he could - as though he could stop the transformation so simply.

"GET OUT!" he screamed into the air. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

But, as usual, he couldn't hold it back. However, it came on quite painlessly - his body pivoted to the right and stooped over, sending the feathers into his face:

*** "Do you really think that I would ever let you go? Do you think I'd ever set you free?"* **Adrian chuckled a bit, then continued. ***"If you do, I'm sad to say, it simply isn't so. You will **_**never **_**get away from me!"**

The spine snapped straight and the force sent the feathers flipping backwards, out of his face, as Kowalski reappeared. He didn't waste one second:

* "All that you are is a face in the mirror! I close my eyes and you'll disappear!"

"**I'm what you face when you face in the mirror! Long as you live I will still be here!"**

"All that you are is the end of a nightmare - all that you are is a dying scream! After tonight, I shall end this demon dream!"

"**This is **_**not **_**a dream, my friend - and it will never end! This face is the nightmare that goes on! Adrian is here to stay, no matter what you may pretend, and he'll **_**flourish**_** long after you're **_**gone!"***_

It was all happening so fast - neither one of them really knew what they were saying, just that they had to overpower the other.

* "Soon you will die and my silence will hide you - you cannot _choose _but to lose control!"

"**You can't control me, I live deep inside you - each day you'll feel me devour your soul!"**

"I don't need you to survive like you need me! I'll become whole as you dance with death and I'll rejoice as you breathe your final breath!"*

This was so _weird..._

***"****For I live inside you forever-"**

"No!"

"**-with Satan himself by my side-"**

"NO!"

"**-and I know that now and forever they'll never be able to separate Kowalski from Black!"***

Kowalski and Adrian could feel the drugs just starting to wear off...

* "Can't you see it's over now? It's time to die!"

"**No, not I - only you!"**

"If I die, you'll die too!"

"**You die in me - I'll **_**be **_**you!"***

Oh, god, no...

* "Damn you, Black! Set me free!"

"**Can't you see? You ARE me!"**

"NO! Deep inside-"

"**- I am you! YOU are Black!"***

"... that doesn't even make _sense! _But no matter- it's all over! *Take all your evil deeds and rot in HELL!"

"**I'll see you there, Kowalski…"**

"NEVER!"

Kowalski waited... and waited... but the next transformation never came. The formula had worked...

Kowalski had won.

Kowalski was _free._

He let out a breath... there were no words to describe his joy, his relief...

But, no matter how wonderful he felt, it was short-lived when he thought of what it had cost... Marlene...

He knew what he now had to do. He would go back to Marlene's and bring her to the HQ - she was too special to be discovered the same way as the other victims... he would tell his teammates and, yes, Katrina what had happened... what had been happening all along...

He owed them that much, at least.

...

Very understandable, there was quite a... commotion in the HQ when Kowalski came back, holding a limp Marlene in his arms. After the commotion, he did just as he'd said he would - he explained everything that had happened the last couple of months: the painful transformations, the creation of Adrian Black, the murders, how he'd hurt Marlene again and again, how Kowalski tried so hard to stop it, and the confrontation just about a hour earlier (after the long-winded explanation and all).

Katrina was the first to fully believe Kowalski's story. She knew that nothing less of a phenomenon like this would make Kowalski treat her the way he had been, and also that he would never tell this kind of lie to them. It further explained why he was gone so much, the voices she'd heard in the lab, why Marlene had never visited them anymore...

With Rico's testimony and the overwhelming evidence at hand, Skipper quickly came around to believe what Kowalski had told him - but that didn't mean he didn't have a few questions.

"You're sure it's over now?" Skipper asked seriously.

"Well," Kowalski replied, "it's always possible I will relapse back into the transformations... but the good thing about that is, I will be able to feel them coming on and get to a safe area. If I don't feel it - if Adrian were to just reappear, like he did tonight - I'm absolutely sure that all three of you would be able to restrain him until I return to myself."

Skipper blinked. "Not sure I understood all that... But the point is, he can be controlled now. No more murders."

"Yes," Kowalski agreed with a smile. "No more murders."

"What will you do now?" Private asked quietly - he seemed to be a bit more shaken up than the others about Marlene.

Kowalski looked down, ashamed. "I will completely discontinue the experiment - the remaining drugs will go in the incinerator after I'm done talking to you all. All that will be left are memories and my voice journal - to remind myself to never cross the line and play God again." He paused. "I've never given up on an experiment before... all I wanted was to make the world a better place, and look at what I did instead..."

"You still can improve the world, Kowalski." Katrina said, taking his hand. "One person at a time. Perhaps... perhaps you could start with me?"

Kowalski gaped at her. "You... you _still_ are willing to marry me? After everything I -"

"Of course!" Katrina said obviously. "You learned your lesson now... besides I think a wedding is just what this zoo needs right now... I do have one favor, though."

"Anything."

Katrina's eyes filled with tears as she glanced over at their table, where Marlene's body lay, covered with a clean white tablecloth as a shroud.

"We have to have the funeral first... and I don't want to have a maid of honor, it was supposed to be her..."

"Of course." Kowalski said solemnly.

"About Marlene..." Skipper said questioningly. "One thing I was wondering... why didn't you send her away earlier? And why do it just when you thought Adrian was disappearing?"

"I actually didn't know he was still bothering her until about a week ago." Kowalski said over Katrina's head. "He must have been trying to keep that secret, but it all spilled out one morning - the morning after we found out about Kitka, after Julien died... then I had to hack into the zoo's computer system and figure out how to send her away somewhere safe, that took a while. I had just sent the order two days ago, and that's when I made the tape. I wasn't sure at all if the new formula would end Adrian, so I wanted her gone in case it didn't work. I planned to bring her back if it did."

Skipper nodded. He motioned to Rico and Private, and together they began lifting Marlene's shrouded figure onto a long piece of wood and outside the HQ to alert who was still left in the zoo.

Katrina buried her face into Kowalski's chest, and let out a sob. Kowalski leaned his head on hers, letting out a few tears himself.

"I'm sorry…" he said softly. "I'm so sorry... I love you..."

* * *

I must admit - we're getting very close to the end here. Like, two chapters away...

Review - and I really do mean it. It's getting quite frustrating how I'm not getting any reviews - except from the ever-faithful GrandOldPenguin and 101giraffes (THANK YOU, GUYS!)


	15. Author's Note

Hey everyone! Um... I've got some bad news.

My computer crashed the other day (Sunday, January 15th) and since then, I have not been able to open up any websites or open any documents or programs (web is blocked, docs and programs are 'infected'...?). I'm currently using my mom's computer (against her orders not to), plus the next chapters are pretty long and I REALLY don't want to have to type them out.

Given that

A) I do have one-act performances and Regionals this coming week, and

B) computer's down (but already in the works to get fixed, hopefully)

I will not be continuing this story UNTIL I get further word from our trusty Tech-Man about what is happening to our computer. If he says he can fix it, I will wait longer. If not, I'll re-type the chapters and get them out as soon as I can.

I apologize if you thought this was an actual chapter :( If it helps any, I'll probably know within a few days about the computer thing...

Lots and lots of love,

Jill


	16. Bring on the Men!

Hey everyone - you'd better be happy I got this up, my mom would kill me if she knew I was doing this... I feel wicked!

* * *

Marlene's funeral was held the next evening. It wasn't really as sad as Kowalski had thought it would be - perhaps the other zoo-dwellers had been jaded by attending too many funerals lately; maybe they knew Marlene was in a happier place now; maybe they knew she wouldn't want them to be too sad... what ever it was, the mood was simply lighter than Kowalski had imagined it would be.

After the funeral, the planning for Kowalski and Katrina's wedding really kicked into high gear. Kowalski, hoping to make up for his earlier behavior, really threw himself in to the plans with Katrina - together, they raided the zoo's water fountain and got enough money to pay for streamers, faux flowers, confetti... a lacy doily to use as Katrina's veil... even bow ties for the guys. Kowalski and Rico, his best man, were to wear black, while Skipper and Private had blue.

Everything was going perfectly fine... until one evening...

Kowalski was talking with Katrina. She seemed a bit more excited than usual about the table plans... it was almost as if she knew something was happening, but wanted to keep it secret. Actually, he was just going to ask her if something was up when a sharp pain hit him in the neck and everything went black.

...

"Ugh..." Kowalski groaned, and reached up to rub his neck. However, he couldn't move his flippers - someone was holding them tightly, and suddenly he could feel himself being dragged across a rough cement floor. He tried to jerk out of the grasp of whatever was holding him hostage.

"Let me go-!"

"About time you woke up!" He heard Skipper say with a laugh as he released Kowalski. "I almost thought you'd sleep right through all the fun."

"Through the - where are we?" Kowalski said as he stood up, and looked around incredulously. He and the rest of his team were in a dark sewer, with only a dim yellow light in the distance to light the way. He could hear laughter and ragtime piano music echo through the sewer.

Skipper grinned. "Where else would we be? You're getting married in two days, man! We're having your bachelor party!"

"WOO-HOO!" Rico yelled, waving his flippers wildly in the air.

Kowalski gaped. "Bachelor _what?"_

"Yep." Skipper confirmed. "We're on our way to the _finest _establishment - for animals - in all New York..." he gestured towards the yellow light. "... the Red Rat!"

Kowalski gasped. That place was, indeed... famous... Julien had went there once for his birthday, thinking it was a regular resturaunt...

"I am _not _going to a _strip club!"_

Skipper sighed impatiently. "I KNOW that - and neither are we. Do you really think I'd let Private come along if _that _sort of thing was happening? Nope - tonight, they're featuring a cabaret singer, there's a 'look but don't touch' policy... unless, of course, the girl chooses to come up to you..."

"Heh-heh!" Rico giggled and elbowed Kowalski - who blushed.

"Fine... but Katrina is NOT going to be happy with me when she finds out-"

"I wouldn't say that..." Skipper said slyly.

_"What?"_

"Katrina's at her own bachelorette party at the moment with the badgers and baboons. Darla hinted they'd be doing something... well, similar..."

Kowalski stopped in his tracks, suddenly blinded by a picture in his mind... Katrina, in a dark room, gawking at all kinds of other men...

"Maybe this isn't such a bad idea after all."

"That's the spirit." Skipper grinned and slapped him on the back.

They entered the establishment. A rat waiter came up to them and looked them over.

"Let me guess." he said. "you're the bachelor party?" he chuckled a bit when Skipper confirmed this. "I thought so - it's not every day we get a call to schedule in a party of penguins. Here, I'll getcha a table next to the stage."

They had just about sat down when Private giggled and pointed to the back of the resturaunt. "Look who else is here!"

Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico looked at what he was pointing at - and gaped.

_"Fred?" _Skipper gasped. "What is he doing here?"

"Bring up another chair." Kowalski said with a smile. "Wave him over."

Rico did so, and Red eventually understood to come over to the table.

"Hey, guys." he said in his usual monotone.

"Hello, Fred." Kowalski greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, my girlfriend's performing tonight. She asked me to come watch."

"YOUR girlfriend?" Skipper said, shocked.

"Ladies and gentlemen - mostly gentlemen..." a voice said over a loudspeaker. A raccoon woman in an ill-fitting red dress was talking into a microphone. "The Red Rat is proud to present, for your entertainment, the captivating... the beautiful... our own lovely Lucy!"

The lights went down and applause resounded through out the resturaunt. Mucis started playing from a small band - softly, but soon heard more easily as the noise lowered. A single spotlight descended on the stage, lighting up a girl... Kowalski felt his jaw drop of its own accord. She was the definition of _foxy..._

"That's her." Fred whispered. "Lucy Harris, my girlfriend."

No one heard him - they were too focused on the girl. She began to sing, drowning out the whistles and catcalls from the audience:

_"There was a time  
I don't know when  
I didn't have much time for men  
but this is now and that was then, I'm learning..."_

She paced up and down the stage, looking around innocently.

_"A girl alone, all on her own  
must try to have a heart of stone  
So I try not to make it known my yearning  
I try to show I have no need  
I really do, I don't succeed...  
So... let's... bring..."_

She began to dance, slowly but easily, across the stage as she sang.

_"...on the men_  
_and let the fun begin_  
_a little touch of sin_  
_why wait another minute?_  
_Step this way, it's time for us to play_  
_they say we may not pass this way again,_  
_so lets waste no more time_  
_Bring on the men!"_

She descended a few stairs off the stage, and weaved her way through the crowd. Someone let out a long, loud whistle - Kowalski laughed when he realized it was Rico. The singer played with the crowd as she continued on.

_"I always knew, I always said  
a silk and lace in black and red  
will drive a man right off his head,  
__it's easy..."_

She giggled knowingly.

_"So many men, so little time  
I want them all, is that a crime?"_

Kowalski heard Skipper and Rico join in the crowd's response: "NO!" She laughed again.

_"I don't know why they say that I'm too easy  
They make me laugh, they make me cry  
they make me sick, so God knows why..."_

The music became faster, louder, and she began to dance again, more quickly and wildly.

_"I say bring on the men_  
_and let the fun begin_  
_a little touch of sin_  
_why wait another minute?_  
_Step this way, it's time for us to play_  
_they say we may not pass this way again,_  
_so let's waste no more time_  
_bring on the men!_

_They break your heart  
they steal your soul  
take you apart  
and yet they somehow make you whole  
so what's their game?  
I suppose a rose by any other name  
the perfume and the prick's the same..."_

The music suddenly stopped... the singer looked Kowalski right in the eye. She was at their table, standing right next to Fred. She broke Kowalski's eye contact and began to sing again, very softly, as she put her arms around Fred's neck.

_"I like to have a man for breakfast each day...  
I'm very social and I like it that way..."_

She kissed his cheek and slowly released Fred.

_"By late mid-morning I need something to munch..."_

She draped herself around Skipper and a very rosy Private.

_"So I ask over two men for lunch!"_

Much to Private's embarrassment and Skipper's delight, she stayed close to them as she sang over the music, which got a bit louder and faster.

_"And men are mad about my afternoon 'tease'  
__they're quite informal; I just do it to please..."_

She brought Rico into the mix...

_"Those triple sandwiches are my favorite ones..."_

She let go of Skipper and Private, dropping down to her knees beside Rico...

_"I'm also very... partial to BUNS!"_

Kowalski wasn't sure what she did, but whatever it was, it made Rico jump in his seat with a high-pitched squeal. Kowalski laughed out loud, but soon quieted himself when he felt two paws resting on each of his shoulders... oh, boy...

_"My healthy appetite gets stronger at night-"_

she leaned down, singing into his ear and sliding a paw down his chest...

_"-my at-home dinners are my men-friends' delight  
when I invite the fellas over to dine..."_

Kowalski gulped as she slid herself right into his lap, grabbed his beak and pulled his face close...

_"...they all come early... in bed by nine!"_

She pushed him away and danced off in another direction - Rico had to support Kowalski as he nearly fell off his chair, losing his balance from the shock.

_"... so... let's... briiiiinnnnng on the men_  
_and let the fun begin_  
_a little touch of sin_  
_why wait another minute_  
_step this way it's time for us to play-"_

The fox-girl climbed back onto the stage and sang out proudly:

_"-they say we may not pass this way again_  
_so lets waste no more time..."_

Kowalski's eyebrows went up as she belted out some impressively high notes:

_"Bring...  
On...  
The...  
MEN!"_

The music ended abruptly and the spotlight shut off. Applause rang out, along with shouts and whistles. The team glanced at each other - Skipper and Rico's matching grins, Private's blush, Kowalski's shocked expression - and couldn't help but burst out in a laugh at how stupid they looked.

The waiter came back and Skipper ordered them all salmon and lemonade (no alcohol, ever - Private was too young, and it just didn't do well with penguin bodies) and while they waited for the food to arrive, the fox-girl came back out. If her species wasn't so distinctive, Kowalski wouldn't have even recognized her - he almost wondered if she'd just undergone her own transformation. A lot of her make-up was gone, and her smile seemed more genuine, purer... Kowalski wasn't the only one who recognized her - a whole chorus of hoots and hollers echoed throughout the building. She must have been used to it, however, as she didn't even seem to notice as she descended the stairs and approached their table again to give Fred a big hug and a kiss.

"I'm so glad you came!" She - Lucy, Kowalski suddenly remembered her name was - said earnestly. "Did you like it?"

"I guess..." Fred said thoughtfully."It was a little awkward, seeing you with the other guys like that... but you sang good. Really good."

"Thanks." she said with a smile - Kowalski wondered how long they'd been together, she seemed to know how Fred's mind worked. She turned to the rest of the guys at the table. "And I'm really sorry if I made any of you uncomfortable-"

"Not really!" Skipper chimed in. Awkward silence... Skipper actually shrank back a bit and muttered, "Sorry..."

"... but it's standard procedure around here to do that for the bachelor parties." She paused. "Actually... I was told you're the groom-to-be, tall guy?"

"Yes, I am." Kowalski said.

"I'm also supposed to ask you if you want to... well... go backstage and take a tour of my dressing room." She said, ashamed.

Kowalski blushed a deep red and stammered, "N-n-no. No, thank you."

"Thanks." she said, sighing quietly in relief. "It's rare, of course, but once in a while, I do get a 'yes'... I really, really hate that..."

"I can imagine." Skipper said dryly.

"Why?" Fred asked. "It's just a dressing room, what's wrong with that?"

Kowalski, Rico, and Skipper snorted (Private had stopped listening after she'd said 'dressing room') with laughter. Kowalski marveled at her - just as quickly as he'd gone to his own evil side weeks before, the girl from the song re-appeared before their very eyes.

She leaned in and whispered loudly to Fred, "Well... how about you come on back and I'll show you?"

"Oh, uh... sure, why not?" he said, dead serious as per usual. he got up and followed Lucy the fox-girl backstage.

Skipper and Rico busted out laughing. Kowalski merely chuckled and took a sip of water.

"I don't think we'll be seeing him again anytime soon..." he commented.

* * *

Wow... I think that was the naughtiest chapter I've ever written... GrandOldPenguin, funny you should mention Fred in your last review... ;)

Also... as to the whole Fred/Lucy thing... I blame _Who Framed Roger Rabbit? _!

And now, the theatre-nerd rant I've been waiting this whole story for: the song I used, "Bring On the Men", was one of the many wonderful songs that got cut from the show after its first couple of showings on Broadway. A ton of the best songs were cut: "I Need to Know", "The Girls of the Night", "The World Has Gone Insane"... actually, I'll have a whole listing of songs I didn't use after the final chapter is put up, so I'll go into more detail about that later.  
However, a few years back, GlobalVision Records came out with a new album, entitled "Jekyll and Hyde: Resurrection" starring Kate Shindle as Lucy, Brandi Burkhardt as Emma and (who else?) ROB EVAN as Jekyll/Hyde, with whole new (and, pardon my language, totally kick-ass) orchestrations using these deleted songs, plus a couple of the ones from the liscensed show. The version of "Bring on the Men" that I used for this story is from this album, but I actually made a fan-video for Marlene using the original version of this song (she is pretty much the only constant female on the show, not counting Alice... it was bound to happen at some point!)

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=g-cEvQ53VGQ

Review!


	17. The Wedding Reception

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=ckfsiDqaNKc

* * *

Two days later...

"Mrs. Kowalski... may I have this dance?"

"_Mr. _Kowalski, you may have every dance."

It had been the best day of Kowalski's life. Katrina was just _radiant - _to a different eye, she didn't appear any different than usual, save for a lacy doily fashioned into a veil by Becky the badger... but she was just so happy! Her face was the pure personification of a beaming smile. The ceremony had gone off without a hitch... unless you counted Rico coughing up the anklets - in lieu of rings - as a hitch.

And now they were at the reception. The first song was about to play - the dance specifically saved for Kowalski and Katrina. He held out his flipper and led her onto the dance floor.

The music began to play - Kowalski gently place his flipper on Katrina's waist and took her other flipper in his own, while Katrina laid her other flipper on his shoulder.

He knew he wasn't a great dancer, but it wasn't too hard to rotate around in a circle and spin her around occasionally... God, she was so _beautiful..._

_Sometimes I see past the horizon_

_Sure of my way - where I am going_

_But where's the prize I have my eyes on_

_Where - there is just no knowing_

_And when despair tears me in two_

_Who can I turn to but you?_

_You know who I am…_

_Take me as I am…_

Katrina rested her head on his chest - Kowalski smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head.

_Look in my eyes - who do you see there_

_Someone you know or just a stranger?_

_If you are wise, you will see me there_

_Love is the only danger_

_Love meaning me, love meaning you_

_We'll make that one dream come true_

_You know who I am..._

_Take me as I am..._

_Though fate won't always do what we desire_

_Still we can set the world on fire..._

Katrina lifted her head and looked into his eyes... and frowned.

"Kowalski, are you okay?" she said, stopping the dance.

"Yes, I'm fine." Kowalski said, surprised. "Why?"

"Your... your eyes - they're changing color. They're... they're turning red..."

Kowalski reached up and felt around his eyes. "What are you talking about - _oh!"_

A searing pain ripped though Kowalski's body. He pushed away Katrina and doubled up, falling onto his knees.

"God, no!" Kowalski shouted out. "Not today - not now… GOD, TAKE THE PAIN AWAY...! _DON'T LET HER SEE, NOT ON OUR WEDDING DAY - AHHH-__**AHHH…"**_

Katrina, Skipper, Rico, and Private - as well as the other wedding guests - could only watch in horror as the feathers on Kowalski's head grew out... the spine curved... the muscles grew... until he stood back up on his feet.

"Kowalski?" Katrina called out anxiously.

He whipped around, making Katrina scream in fright, and snarled, **"There is no Kowalski - only Adrian Black!"**

"I know that's not true." she said bravely, stepping forward. Skipper pushed her back.

"Katrina, stay back! He's dangerous!"

"Skipper, please. Let me try." she beseeched him. She slowly turned to face Adrian. She swallowed her fear - or at least tried to - and took a small step forward.

"Kowalski?" she said softly. "It's me, Katrina... it's only me..."

Adrian took a few steps back, and his gaze softened. Katrina smiled and stepped forward again, coming even closer. "Yes... it's only me..."

"Katrina?" Kowalski's voice said through Adrian. He reached out, and Katrina took his hand...

Grinning again, Adrian roughly pulled Katrina into his arms and held her fast around the throat.

"Foolish **girl." **He whispered with Kowalski's voice. **"So **gullible..."

"Leave her alone!" Skipper called out, and the team rushed forward.

Katrina coughed as Adrian tightened his grip around her neck.

"**No one touches Adrian Black or, before God, she **_**dies!" **_he shouted, returning to his natural tone.

"Let go!" Rico yelled.

Adrian shook Katrina violently, making the veil fall off her head.** "**_**No one touches Adrian Black!"**_

There was silence, except for Katrina's gasps for air, until Adrian saw that the others would obey him as long as Katrina was in danger - they had to protect her for Kowalski. Adrian grinned and ran his flipper down her side and twirled her tail - just as he had with Marlene the first time he'd met her.

"**Hmm… we seem to be married, my love…" **he spoke. **"Ha, ha… ready for our bridal bed, are you?"**

He scooped Katrina up into his arms. She started to scream, then stopped herself and said in a shaky, frightened voice, "Kowalski... I know you're in there somewhere... I know you can hear me, and would never want to hurt me... let me go. Please... for us..."

She looked into Adrian's eyes. Adrian started to shake violently, and he all but dropped Katrina onto the floor as he stumbled backward and jerked his head. When he looked back up, Katrina once more saw a pair of blue eyes looking back at her.

"Katrina... _Katrina!" _he said, dazed at first, then terrified. "NO! Stay away from me, get away-"

Rico stepped in front of Katrina and coughed up a gun as the changed happened again. He pointed it right at Adrian, who - when he saw it - merely gave Rico a challenging look.

"**Do it… I dare you." **he said in a mocking tone, spreading his arms wide. **"Come on, Rico… don't be a coward-"**

This time, the body didn't even move as Adrian's eyes changed back to blue, spine straightened, and feathers shrunk. Kowalski saw his arms opened wide, and Rico still pointing the gun.

He couldn't do this anymore... it just wasn't worth it, constantly putting every single person he'd ever loved in danger over and over... Katrina was already in grave peril! he couldn't stand it any longer!

"Do it, Rico." He said in a pleading voice. "Set me free, set us all free!"

Rico's eyes widened, and he looked to and fro from the gun, around the room, and back to Kowalski.

"Can't." he said, shaking his head. "Won't!"

"You promised!" Kowalski begged, falling to his knees once more. "You promised that if there was ever a chance to destroy him, you would take it! I can't do it myself, he'll just take over again! _You promised!"_

Silence, save for Kowalski's heavy breathing as he fiercely fought the monster inside, though there was no chance of winning any longer… Rico faltered, then slowly cocked the gun.

"So, so sorry..." he said softly.

_BANG!_

Kowalski's body jerked once with a shriek of pain, then fell onto his stomach.

"No…" Katrina's voice whispered. "No… NOO!"

She ran forward and heaved Kowalski onto his back. Already, crimson blood stained a large portion of his chest.

"Katy... Katy... I-I'm sorry..."

"Shh…" she said softly. Through her tears, she sang to him, sang him to sleep:

"_You are free now… you're with me, now… where you'll always be…"_

Kowalski's blue eyes closed for the last time... his flipper went limp in hers... no more.

No more...

* * *

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=drkoOZ4oPcY (Official stage production) The parts you don't see in this clip - and also the fact that it takes place during the reception instead of the actual wedding ceremony - were inspired by the pre-edited version of the show, just so you know.

Well... it's done. I had a really great time writing this, the entire time. I seriously think this is some of my best work to date!

A few acknowledgements:

GrandOldPenguin - you're awesome. 'Nuff said.

101giraffes - thanks for the consistent reviews and enthusiasm! It really helped me a lot!

Rob Evan - okay, you will never, ever see this. Hey, that means I can go all fangirl-crazy... I LOVE YOU! Will you marry me... you know, after I turn eighteen?

Cast of POM - (hey, they exist in my mind) I'm sorry for all the horrible, horrible things I do to you in my fanfictions. Please forgive me and allow me to continue ruining your lives. Hey, here's an idea - I could make something HAPPY happen for a change... Nah.

All right then - after this chapter, I will also add a final chapter - no plot, it's just a listing of songs from _Jekyll and Hyde _that I didn't get a chance to use, why I didn't use them, and links to the songs on YouTube for your listening pleasure. I WOULD advise you to go and get the DVD... but the Hoff just ruins it. Seriously, I hate him. FORTUNATELY, I recently found out on an official website for the J&H show that it has been confirmed: in a couple of years or so, there will be an official movie of the show coming out - like they did with _Phantom of the Opera _and _Chicago. _WIN!

Review!


	18. A Theatre Nerd's Rant

Okay, so this chapter you don't have to read if you don't want to. But, if you really liked the music and want to know more about the musical itself, read on.

* * *

Songs I Didn't Get to Use

"I Need To Know" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=_KiBZn6aXec

This song is pretty much what inspired the whole story. In it, Jekyll describes how and why he has to conduct the experiment - and it sounds totally awesome, especially the version I have (from the Resurrection album - a re-creation of the ORIGINAL songs from _Jekyll and Hyde) _and it sounds so much like Kowalski's personality it's scary. This was one of the songs that got cut from the show before it went on Broadway - it was replaced by a song called "Lost In the Darkness", which actually gives Jekyll a more solid reason for his experiment: his father is in an insane asylum, and Jekyll believes if the experiment is a success he can save him.

"Façade" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=09VXUGeMRmE

I was never planning on using this song - it doesn't do much for the plot, it just pretty much sums up the whole point of the story - hypocrisy - but I put it here because it's a really great song. It's also worth mentioning that this song is a central theme of the show, and there are four reprises that are used to move along the story by providing a good reason to switch settings.

"B*tch, B*tch, B*tch"

Need I say more? (No wonder it was cut from the show!)

"No One Knows Who I Am" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=BwgIHQ_Omjo&feature=related

Sung by Lucy, lamenting her situation as a prostitute. It would have worked well for Marlene to describe her sadness and hopelessness, but I figured I was already pushing it by having Adrian burst into song twice, (Alive!) without having Marlene do the same.

"Letting Go" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=nis0JzZvuyg

Sung by Emma and Sir Danvers Carew (her father). It's just a short, sweet little song about how Emma has to leave home to marry Jekyll. Obviously, Katrina's father doesn't play any role in this story like Sir Danvers does, so this song was completely unnecessary - for me, at least. Actually, I'm surprised they didn't give Sir Danvers a larger role in the show... consider this: in the musical, Hyde kills off pretty much everyone BUT Sir Danvers, and Jekyll marries his daughter. However, in the actual novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, Hyde kills only ONE person before Jekyll decides the experiment's not worth it... who? Sir Danvers Carew, of course! And Emma? There IS no Emma - Jekyll's a bachelor and plans to keep it that way. Food for thought.

"Good and Evil" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=Ki_1mBtU17c

This was the song that replaced "Bring on the Men" - it's pretty much Lucy slapping you in the face with the central theme of the whole play. I actually JUST remembered this song was even in the show - I really don't like it that much, except that it's the only song of Lucy's that I can sing decently. Needless to say, I never planned on using this song, not even for Lucy the fox - you already had enough of the good and evil lecture, you (and the audience watching the play, for that matter) don't need the only fun number to be all morbid and thought-provoking either. (A worthy note: Linda Eder - the woman who originated the role of Lucy - was so angry that the producers cut "Bring on the Men", she convinced them to keep the song in the current license of the show, so it is possible to still perform "Bring on the Men" if you so wish to instead!)

"This is the Moment" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=cJ5iKRpE41E

It's kind of ironic because this is the most well-known song in the whole show, when Jekyll encourages himself immediately before the Transformation sequence (I'm considering singing it at high school graduation in about a year). I wanted Kowalski to be more careful and cautious than Jekyll seems to be - he's more in character that way.

"The World Has Gone Insane!" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=YcU2MO53FxI

It's really a shame I didn't get to use this song - I absolutely LOVE this one, and unfortunately it was cut from the show, like "I Need To Know" and "Bring On the Men" (why'd they cut the BEST songs?), showing just how changed Jekyll has become since the transformations began. Take a look at the first verse:

_The world has gone insane_

_And parasites are eating at my brain_

_And nothing is the way it was before_

_A pack o' wolves is howling at my door_

_I'm living in a nest of nightmares, dead man's dreams_

_Filled with screaming pain_

_Turning me to mad extremes_

_In a world that's gone insane!_

I even had a scene planned out for it and everything: Much like that one episode where we see Kowalski's poem for Doris the dolphin, Kowalski mixes up some tapes and puts one in of himself reciting this song as a poem (easily done, if you listen to it) and when he tries to stop it, Katrina stops him, wanting to see it and how strange he's acting. During the last verse, however, Kowalski knows that on the very last lyric -"in a world that's gone insane"- he changes into Adrian while speaking, so - not wanting to reveal his secret - he actually pushes Katrina to the ground in order to get to the VCR in time to stop the tape. I liked this scene, but I could never find a decent place to put it without it seeming superfluous or unnecessary.

"In His Eyes" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=sK4WsjmrJZU

In which Emma (Katrina) and Lucy (Marlene) both describe how much they have fallen in love with Jekyll (Kowalski). I never planned on using this - Marlene, unlike Lucy, is fully aware Kowalski is engaged to another woman - much less her best friend - and is able to control her feelings towards him and never likes him to the same degree Lucy does… though Marlene is secretly jealous of Katrina for having someone like Kowalski love her (as opposed to Adrian) and does like him a bit more than she should.

"The Girls of the Night" http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=e3iLsp7T-Q0

Yet again, a beautiful, sympathetic song that was cut from the show - Nellie, Lucy's best friend, sadly sings about her obligations in her profession (same as Lucy's), then Lucy cuts in with a slightly more hopeful version, which Nellie discourages (she's older than Lucy and has had more experience). Also again, I never planned on using this song, except possibly for Lucy the fox near the end... actually, I just thought of that now, so not really.

"Sympathy, Tenderness - Reprise"

Hyde sings this as he kills Lucy. I could have used this, but since Marlene never really sang this - just quoted it in her mind - it wouldn't have made much sense. No clip - you saw this when I gave you the clip in the actual chapter.

"If You Only Knew" http:/ www. you tube .com/watch?v=F3B82LJ4V4o

Okay, this song wasn't even in the show, but it's still awesome. It's a brand-new song that was composed for Emma in the "Resurrection" album. It basically is her yelling at Jekyll for putting himself, their relationship, and her sanity in peril, and I absolutely loved it. I was seriously considering putting this in instead of "Once Upon a Dream"... but, not only is it one of the best-known songs in the show, quite iconic... but the urge to show off was simply to great. Sorry.


End file.
